Indian Autos blog » Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Mirage makes sensational progress in Thailand

Kaustubh Shinde — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:31:24 +0000

A car that we have been tracking quite closely as we believe it can play the turnaround specialist for Mitsubishi in India is the Mitsubishi Mirage. Some signs of the Mirage’s potential are on display in the Thailand already where it was launched in March 2012.

The BangkokPost reports that the Mirage is a massive hit in Thailand. It has moped up some serious bookings since the launch. This has prompted Mitsubishi Motors Thailand to step up production at its assembly lines.

Orders for 20,000 units have been placed for the Eco-Car since its launch in late March. And thanks to the enhanced capacity Mitsubishi is aiming to deliver all the bookings by the end of this year. That’s a waiting list of more than half a year.

The Laem Chabang plant is Mitsubishi’s largest manufacturing and export facility outside Japan with an initial annual capacity of 150,000 units, upgradeable to 200,000 units.

Of course, Mitsubishi has plans to export the Mirage to Japan, Asia and Europe. But Mitsubishi India has not confirmed anything about the the Mirage’s debut in India. The company is still evaluating its partnership with Hindustan Motors.

In order for the Mirage to be launched in India and become successful, Mitsubishi has to focus on 3 things – Local Production, Aggressive pricing and widening its Sales & Service network.

Most Mitsubishi products in India are not doing the volumes the competition is able to simply because they fail on either of above mentioned three factors. More importantly, Mitsubishi’s Cedia, sitting in an important segment, does not have diesel power.

The Mirage is a perfect mass market product that can be placed as a rival to the likes of the Polo, Micra, Swift and i20. It needs a diesel engine and a determined set of decision makers who can act in sync with the market changes.

[Source: bangkokpost.com]

Mitsubishi India updates the Montero with mild cosmetic changes; No changes in price

Shrawan Raja — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:11:17 +0000

Update – Hindustan Motors replied to our query on the price update. There is no change in price, it remains at 41.34 lacs ex-showroom Delhi.

Hindustan Motors has introduced a mildly updated Mitsubishi Montero MY2012 with a host of visual changes including a modified front bumper, new chrome radiator grille, new finish on power window panel and new stitch design on leather seats.

The interior illumination colour has been switched from blue to red. There have been no changes made under the car’s skin with the 3.2-liter diesel engine producing 202 PS@3,800 rpm/441 Nm@2000 rpm continuing to provide motive force. Three colors are offered to customers in India including solid white, black mica and cool silver metallic shades.

Mitsubishi has not provided the price list with the release, but we’re making the efforts to find out if there’s a revision there as well. Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com.

Mitsubishi launches 2012 Outlander with seats for seven at 20.55 lakhs

Shrawan Raja — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:16:24 +0000

Hindustan Motors has notified us that the Mitsubishi Outlander 2012 model is now available in showrooms, equipped with seven seats. The technical specifications do not change with power derived from a 2.4-liter petrol engine. It outputs 170PS and 226Nm.

Notable features on the 2012 Outlander include keyless entry, split tailgate, 710 watt Rockford Fosgate music system and paddle shifters and cruise control.

The Outlander’s safety features include HID headlamps, ABS and EBD along with RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body and dual frontal airbags. The two additional seats on the third row are ideal for children.

The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander is priced at Rs.20.55 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi.

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Image Slideshow

can’t see the slideshow above? Head over to the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander 7 seater Image Gallery

Mitsubishi Mirage enters production; India debut uncertain

Kaustubh Shinde — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 08:41:42 +0000

While we have been discussing whether the Mitsubishi Mirage should come to India, the Japanese automaker has started the production of the Mirage in Thailand. It will be produced at the company’s brand-new factory at Laem Chabang. The Mirage is a very important car for Mitsubishi because it replaces the old Colt hatchback in numerous markets.

The Mirage will be on sale in Thailand next week and later will be exported to other Southeast Asian countries followed by Japan, Europe and other markets around the world. In the Thai market the Mirage will be priced between THB 380,000 to 551,000 (approximately 6 – 9 lakhs).

It is powered by a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 78 horsepower. You can opt in for a CVT transmission or a five-speed manual gearbox. Standard features include a navigation system, a Bluetooth Smartphone connectivity system, and a dash-mounted touch screen.

This Mitsubishi Mirage is designed and engineered with fuel efficiency and low emissions in mind. It features a start-stop system along with low-friction tires. It can run on pure petrol or a mixture of petrol and ethanol. Mitsubishi claims a class leading fuel economy of 30kmpl.

There is no official confirmation on whether the Mirage will come to the Indian landscape. While Mitsubishi is contemplating on making India their small car hub, they are yet undecided whether they should do it alone or with their existing partnership with Hindustan Motors.

However, if Mitsubishi starts manufacturing Mirage in India, it can export it to the nearby markets such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal. There are plans to develop a sedan on the same Mirage platform as well.

[Source: Carscoop.blogspot.in]

Mitsubishi could utilize India as its future small car hub

Kaustubh Shinde — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:11:45 +0000

Mitsubishi Motor Corporation is finally waking up to the Indian market. After two consecutive launches of the Pajero Sport and the Outlander 7 Seater, the company is contemplating on making India its global small car hub. The interesting fact is that Mitsubishi has no presence in the hatchback segment in India which constitutes for 70% of the market. The company’s existing products are all in the sedan and SUV market.

Mitsubishi has seven manufacturing facilities across Japan, North America, the Netherlands (Europe), Thailand and Philippines at present. It has 11 tie-ups for producing vehicles in another 10 countries. However, it has only one plant to manufacture their small car – Mirage in Thailand.

Thus it is looking for places to establish a second production plant and India is on the list with two other countries. However, no decision has been taken yet.

The Japanese automaker is also contemplating of bring their newly showcased small car Mirage to India. Currently, the Mirage will only be produced in Thailand from April. However, if Mitsubishi starts manufacturing Mirage in India, it can export it to the nearby markets such as Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal. There are plans to develop a sedan on the same Mirage platform as well, the route Nissan took with the Micra.

But Mitsubishi is not sure whether it will partner with Hindustan Motors (HM) for its India expansion plans. The company works with HM on a licensing basis wherein HM manufactures/assembles Mitsubishi’s cars in India. However, Mitsubishi may choose to pursue its India expansion plans solo.

[Source: Asianage.com]

Mitsubishi quietly slips in Outlander 7 seater at Rs.19.95 lakh

Kaustubh Shinde — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:16:59 +0000

Mitsubishi Motors may have been quiet for a lot of years in India the Japanese automaker is definitely buzzing these days though a bit quietly. After the launch of the Pajero Sport in New Delhi, the company has silently slipped in a 7 seater version of the Outlander at a price of Rs 19.95 lakhs.

Interestingly, the 7 seater version is actually cheaper than the 5 seater version by a good 1 lakh rupees. Having said that, the third row seats do look a bit funny.

The new variant will be called the Outlander LX and will have the same spec sheet at the 5 seater model. The Outlander 7-seater will be powered by the same 2.4 litre petrol motor that belts out 166.6 bhp of maximum power and 226 Nm of maximum torque

However, by the looks of it, the last 2 seats look very cramped and quite thin to provide adequate padding on long journeys. The leg space is STRICTLY for kids only. The third row seats can be fully folded under the floor to give more boot space. We have a strong feeling that most of the lime that is exactly what they would be doing.

The 2013 Outlander which debuted at Geneva a week back is a proper 7 seater with adequate space for the third row.

[Source: Team-bhp.com]

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – In Images and Video

Shrawan Raja — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:25:52 +0000

In this post we have a walkaround video of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and high quality images captured at the car’s launch in Delhi today morning.

The Pajero Sport is a CBU product, bookings of which will begin tomorrow morning. It is priced at 23.53 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) and and is powered by a 2.5-liter diesel engine. You can view the brochure for the rest of the technical specification.

Mitsubishi will begin assembling the product at the Chennai facility from September.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Image Gallery

Video – A short message from Mr AS Narayanan to readers of Indian Autos Blog

Shrawan Raja — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:52:19 +0000

Mr AS Narayanan, Director, Hindustan Motors, sounded bullish on the future of the Pajero Sport in India that has been hotly anticipated for the last couple of years. To keep you fully updated, we have discussed some of the answers the company officials provided the media at the press conference this morning.

Here’s Mr Narayanan sending out a quick video message to readers of Indian Autos Blog from the launch floor. Turn up the volume and take a listen!

Bumper To Bumper – Does the price of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport sound a bit high?

Shrawan Raja — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:26:03 +0000

Mitsubishi has brought the Pajero Sport to the Indian market at the price of 23.53 lakhs (ex-showroom) and today’s Bumper To Bumper discussion is on the two main reasons behind such a pricing strategy.

Like always, I’m hoping to learn your thoughts on this product. Can it help spark a change to Mitsubishi India’s future?

Mitsubishi discusses the future of Pajero, new Outlander & targets at today’s press conference

Shrawan Raja — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:46:09 +0000

At the launch of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in Delhi today, Mitsubishi spoke about the future of the Pajero SFX, the introduction of the new Outlander shown at the Geneva Motor Show and revealed the CKD plan for the Pajero Sport. Indian Autos Blog’s Gaurav Malik gives us the details.

How many units are you planning to sell of the same this year?

Approx. 4,000-5,000 units.

Which part of the country are you targeting this product at?

Existing Pajero sells almost all around the country. The Pajero enthusiast is who we are targeting, and our marketing will be throughout the country.

Are you planning to do a CKD of this SUV at Chennai plant?

Yes we are planning to assemble this car locally along with sourcing some components locally but those operations will start only in September. The plant is preparing for the same.

How much is the capacity of the plant and how much of it are you utilizing it right now?

The Chennai plant’s capacity is about 12,000 units per annum, of course it can be increased by using multiple shifts, which is what we are not doing at present. Right now we are utilizing 40-50% of the capacity producing 5,000-6,000 units per annum.

How much investment will this plant upgrade require?

The investment is still going on, but roughly about 40-50 crores.

Are you looking to partner with other companies to utilize that unused capacity?

Many companies have approached us from time to time and we will continue the talk. As of present, there is no firm proposal to make any particular brand. but in future, if any such opportunities arrive, we will certainly accept it.

When the CKD operations begin, will they bring down the cost of the car or are you already subsidizing the price now?

We have to work out the details of the cost reduction, but one thing I can assure you, it will definitely bring down the prices which will be passed on to the consumer as well.

Considering other companies are launching their products quickly, can we expect any new products soon from Mitsubishi?

We introduced the new Outlander at the Geneva Motor Show, which will make its way first to Russia, then to the domestic market i.e. Japan and then we will introduce it to the Indian market. And about eh pace, I think slow and steady wins the race.

You have many products in the SUV segment, are you looking at other segments as well?

We know that the largest segment in the Indian automotive market is the hatchback and the sedan, and we want to place some of our products in there but we are saving it for the future. The hatchback segment is already crowded and in order to win there, we need to price our car very competitively. So we are doing our market research, and as of now, there are no crude plans but we will consider it in the future.

When you mentioned you have a bigger plan for India, what kind of investment can we see you making in the car market in India? Will you be making the investment in partnership with Hindustan Motors or will you do that individually?

The plans for bringing in new cars and entering new segments are all under consideration but since our research is going on, we can’t say anything specific. If some products are launched, we will do that jointly with HM.

What happens to existing Pajero SFX model?

The new model will take over the existing model when it is discontinued after 4-5 months.