Mitsubishi Motors’ ‘concept global small’ car, to replace the ageing Colt but with a new name, will make its global debut at the Geneva show in March.
“The concept car is based on the features of ‘compact’, ‘affordability’, and ‘high fuel efficiency’ ” MMC said, without providing more details.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
However, the automaker said last month, as it laid the foundation stone for a third factory in Chonburi province, Thailand, adjacent to its first and second factories, it would start production in March 2012 of a “global small” 1.0-1.2-litre class compact vehicle it plans to launch in fiscal 2011.
Initial production capacity will be around 150,000 units, boosted later to 200,000, with around 3,000 new hires at the Thai plant.
A Mitsubishi Motors spokeswoman in Tokyo said investment for the new factory is estimated at THB10bn while the company will spend another THB6bn baht to prepare it for production of the new car. The total spend is the equivalent of about US$535m.
The news agency noted that Mitsubishi Motors president Osamu Masuko has said he also wants to build the car in either China, Brazil or India, and produce an electric-only version of the model for developed markets by the end of 2012.
Mitsubishi said the “global small” will conform to Thailand’s eco-car project, implemented by the Thai government with the objective of promoting investment in Thailand’s automobile industry and reduction of dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. The “global small” will be positioned as an entry model in MMC’s model lineup, and plans are to export the vehicle from Thailand to markets worldwide as a global strategic vehicle that corresponds to both market needs of emerging countries, for which demand for automobiles is expected to increase, and advanced nations, where vehicle downsizing is increasing in order to correspond to energy issues in addition to environmental awareness.
UK magazine Auto Express said Mitsubishi had claimed the new car “achieves top-of-class fuel efficiency.” The concept theoretically emits carbon dioxide in the mid-90g/km range thanks to its downsized petrol engine, which features stop start and is boosted by brake regeneration.
The engine is combined with a new CVT gearbox and Mitsubishi has also promised lightweight construction and a body shape that greatly reduces aerodynamic resistance.
MMC starts on new Thai factory
