Kyodo news reports that Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) plans to develop midsize as well as small vehicles with DaimlerChrysler under their alliance.
Rolf Eckrodt, MMC’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, told Kyodo News that MMC may produce its recreational vehicles (RVs) with DaimlerChrysler in China and that the Japanese automaker will enter new markets such as Mexico and Canada by taking advantage of the alliance.
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In the Kyodo report Eckrodt reiterated that platform standardisation and component sharing are already planned for new compact cars for MMC and DaimlerChrysler, but then added, “We will do the same for the C segment and for the D segment together with Chrysler.”
Eckrodt said MMC’s new small car model to be released later this year in Japan and DaimlerChrysler’s Smart 4-seater to be unveiled in Europe in 2004 (Z-car) have two-thirds of their components in common.
DaimlerChrysler took a 34% stake in MMC in 2000 as part of its alliance with MMC in the passenger car business and in 2001 upped its stake to 37.3% and expanded the alliance to include the bus and truck divisions.
Eckrodt said the alliance with DaimlerChrysler is helping MMC to increase its presence in the markets of Canada and Mexico.
“We use the existing networks (of DaimlerChrysler),” he said.
He said MMC has an “ambitious plan” for Canada, and seeks to have the same market share as it has in the United States where its presence is strong.
