Official Mitsubishi importer/distributor Grupo Souza Ramos – which manufactures the Pajero TR4, Pajero Dakar, L200 Triton and ASX locally at its Catalão, Goiás state factory – is pushing for more Brazilian engine production to meet local content targets established by the Inovar-Auto programme.
This has forced an immediate refurbishment of the distributor’s engine testing laboratories to deal with fuel economy standards set by the Inovar-Auto scheme.
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Current capacity is 50,000 engines a yearly from two shifts but volume might double with further, low investment.
When the engine plant was opened in June 2013, only 20% of components – mostly ancillaries – were outsourced but the goal now is to reach 50% by 2015, including engine blocks and cylinder heads.
This strategy includes the most modern engine used here – petrol, two litres, DOHC, 160cv – with aluminum block and cylinder head. It goes into the locally made ASX crossover and will also be used in the upcoming local Lancer (which goes into production in October), bringing a new flexfuel version with it.
Low volume engines such as the 3.5-litre V6 and the 2.4-litre I4 (both flexfuel) will remain simply locally assembled with a few Brazilian parts. Diesel engines for Mitsubishi’s light commercial range (medium-size pickups), the backbone of the brand in Brazil, will not be fully ‘localised’ until 2016.
