Entries Tagged 'mitsubishi' ↓

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has decided to name its all-new compact crossover the RVR. This all-new compact crossover is planned for sequential release globally, and will be first released in Japan next spring.

The all-new RVR is a compact crossover that provides high environmental efficiency and has a compact body while providing ample utility space and high performance.

The RVR will be fitted with an all-new 1.8L MIVEC petrol engine, and will be approximately 4.3 meters in length, featuring high fuel efficiency via its lightweight compact body. With the RVR, MMC expands its crossover lineup, which already includes the full-size Pajero, and the mid-size Outlander.

This new compact crossover will be released globally, including North America, Europe, and Asian regions including China.

This rough sketch released by Mitsubishi today reveals a new baby 4×4 which the company plans to unveil at the Geneva Motor Show next year.

The new Mitsubishi will use the company’s mid-size platform – used already on the Outlander and Lancer – and will feature the familiar ‘jet-fighter’ front end to bring it in line with other newer models in the Mitsubishi range.

Mitsubishi Motors today announced that it would introduce a new compact crossover model next year. First sales will be in Japan in February 2010.

Although details of the new car are sparse, it seems that this is Mitsubishi’s competitor for Nissan’s hugely influential Qashqai, which pioneered the concept of a Golf-class people carrier/SUV crossover when it was introduced in 2007.

Mitsubishi says that the new car will supports its “strategic shift from being an SUV-focused nameplate to a manufacturer of environment-friendly passenger cars and crossovers”, although it doesn’t look as though it is completely abandoning the SUV market, where its Shogun models have a long-established presence.

Mitsubishi hasn’t yet revealed any details of the new car’s drive-train, so it’s not yet clear whether it will join the recent trend to treating four-wheel drive as an optional extra on SUVs and crossovers rather than as a “must have” feature.

The base engine will be a 136 horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder unit churning out 206 pound-feet of torque. It will be mated to Mitsubishi’s Twin Clutch SST gearbox and an all-wheel drive system. The new engine is planned to have class-leading power output courtesy of a high-efficiency turbocharger and high-efficiency combustion characteristics.

Mitsubishi Motor Corporation is seeking to make an entry into the already burgeoning Filipino market by introducing new vehicles and increasing the level of visibility in that country. Philippines is a major consumer of automobiles in the region and Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi revealed that Mitsubishi’s market share in the Philippines has increased to 18 percent this year, despite recession.

Mitsubishi can expect a bigger market share in the coming years as new models are being prepared to be launched in the Philippines soon. One of them that will be launched in the coming years, will be the Global Small, a 1.1 liter that will join the entry-level passenger car category. By the end of the year, MMPC will likely introduce another variant to a popular model.

This same Project will be as Ecocar porject in Thailand too.

WORLD PREMIERE: i-MiEV CARGO
Derived from the production i-MiEV, this concept maximises the outstanding environmental performance and economic efficiency characteristics that define the EV and at the same time adds a generous amount of rear free space to extend the range of uses to which it can be put by corporate users and self-employed operators in particular. The rear space features space-efficient cubic dimensions to allow the user to exercise their imagination fully in adapting it for whatever use he/she chooses. The result is a concept for an EV that meets user needs for a variety of situations: from business use, where maximum payload space is required, to leisure and other individual owner uses.

i-MiEV CARGO (SHOW MODEL)

1. Design
The i-MiEV CARGO’s unique styling was developed around a “joint” design concept as it links the i-MiEV’s curvaceous front section with a square rear end to give the vehicle a distinctive road presence in a wide variety of situations. Inside, the clean and simple styling eliminates extraneous elements and details to improve usability and create an interior space characterised by its free-thinking design and originality.

2. Luggage compartment
Measuring 1350 mm wide by 1180 mm deep and 1100 mm high and having a flat floor, the cube-shaped luggage compartment at the rear of the vehicle allows every inch of available space to be utilised. The height of the compartment floor has been designed to facilitate loading and unloading of luggage and make it more user-friendly.

i-MiEV CARGO SPECIFICATIONS

WORLD PREMIERE: MITSUBISHI CONCEPT PX-MiEV
Powered by the new Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid System, which significantly extends the frequency a hybrid vehicle is driven in EV mode, the Mitsubishi Concept-PX* MiEV† returns fuel economy in excess of 50 km/litre. The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV is a new-generation concept car that balances high environmental performance with running performance by utilizing differential motors and Mitsubishi’s all-new S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control), that utilises E-AYC (Electric-powered Active Yaw Control) which transfers torque to the rear left and right wheels. Other features include Mitsubishi’s cocochi-interior**, which provides occupants with a comfortable cabin environment, as well as many of the latest safety technologies.

* PX: Plug-in hybrid crossover. † MiEV: Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle
** “cocochi” is a pun on the Japanese word for “cosy”

1. Design
Solid, Safe, and Simple were the keywords which drove the development of an exterior design suitable for a next-generation crossover that creates simple appearance from which all extraneous elements have been pared and that is free of the “rugged” elements typical in conventional SUVs. The headlamps and rear combination lamps use LED emitters that give the car an innovative and modern appearance as well as delivering better environmental performance with their reduced power consumption. The body uses a newly-developed metal colour that gives the car a metal shell-like appearance. Combining elements of both spoke and dish styling, the road wheel design highlights an unprecedented new look to the body as well improving brake cooling and aerodynamic performance.

The interior was designed to give an image of an airplane cockpit to improve the driver’s concentration, with an instrument panel that envelops the passengers and utilises seats that keep the passengers firmly in place. In addition, the entire instrument panel and door trim utilise soft LED lighting that express the vehicle’s innovation and refinement.

2. Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid System
The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV’s front and rear wheels are powered by two permanent magnet synchronous motors and is also fitted with a 1.6L DOHC MIVEC gasoline engine which can power the front wheels as well as work as a generator. In addition, the vehicle comes with the newly-developed Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid System in which electronic circuitry automatically switches to the optimum drive mode for different driving conditions and remaining energy in the drive battery to extract maximum efficiency from the electric motors and from the gasoline engine. The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV also utilises the MiEV OS (MiEV Operating System) which selects the optimum drive mode through integrated control of the EV components and the gasoline engine as well as controls optimum electrical charge and output in response to remaining battery energy through constant monitoring of the drive battery. With these, a pleasing, safe, and comfortable ride is achieved while conserving energy. In addition, to maximise effective use of the drive battery, the vehicle is equipped with a power supply mode that allows the use of some battery power to supply domestic appliances or as an emergency power source in the event of a natural disaster.

* EV mode

At low to middle vehicle speeds the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV’s drive battery powers the front motor using front-wheel drive. When driving on snow, in the rain or in other low surface friction situations where maximum vehicle stability is required, the system automatically switches to four-wheel drive mode by feeding power to the rear wheel motor as well when sensors detect any front wheel slip.

* Series hybrid mode

When the remaining energy in the drive battery falls to a predetermined level the system starts the gasoline engine to generate electricity and automatically switches to the series hybrid mode using the electricity generated to power the motors. In this mode as well, the system switches to four-wheel drive by driving the rear motor depending on driving conditions.

* Parallel hybrid mode

At higher vehicle speeds the car is supported by the gasoline engine which operates more efficiently than the electric motors at high revolutions. In this mode, the gasoline engine also helps drive the wheels. When the driver makes sudden lane changes or other manoeuvres requiring greater vehicle stability the system switches to four-wheel drive by bringing in the rear motor to drive the rear wheels, improving stability. In addition when overtaking at higher speeds or in other situations requiring faster acceleration the system switches in both front and rear motors to provide additional power and assist the gasoline engine, providing high acceleration.

* Regenerative mode

When the vehicle is slowing or coasting down a long descending slope the system switches to regenerative mode in which kinetic energy reclaimed from the wheels is stored in the drive battery.

* Charging mode

As with the production i-MiEV, Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV features a 3-way battery charging system using either a 100-volt or a 200-volt domestic supply or a high-power quick-charging station. The system also incorporates a Wireless Charging Program feature that allows the owner to start charging the battery or start the air conditioner at a preset time even when away from the vehicle.

* Power supply mode

As a way to maximise the usefulness of the power stored in the drive battery based on the “Smart Grid Framework,” which garners attention as a link in tackling global warming, when not on the road the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV allows the owner to store electricity at night and then use that electricity via the normal charging connector to power home appliances during the daytime when domestic electricity consumption is highest. This allows the drive battery to be used as a power source in the event of a natural disaster. Should the electricity left in the battery fall below a predetermined level, the gasoline engine starts up and works as generator to maintain the power supply at a fixed level.

A 100-volt AC auxiliary socket in the rear luggage compartment also allows the electricity stored in the drive battery to be used to power cooking or lighting equipment and other appliances when camping or engaged in other leisure activities.

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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the development of a Dual Injector system designed to improve fuel efficiency in small-displacement gasoline engines. The new fuel delivery system, the first of its kind in the world*1, uses an injector for each port rather than one per cylinder – speeding up fuel vaporization, reducing the amount of unburned fuel and reducing hydrocarbon emissions. Nissan will introduce the new system in production vehicles starting early in fiscal 2010.

While most current gasoline engines utilize one injector per cylinder (furnishing fuel to two intake ports), the new Nissan Dual Injector system doubles the number of injectors per cylinder. This reduces the diameter of the fuel droplets by about 60%, resulting in smoother, more stable combustion.

The system also adds continuous valve timing control on the exhaust side to conventional intake-side control, improving heat efficiency, reducing pumping losses and raising fuel efficiency by up to 4%*2 in sync with the dual injectors.

Left: One port of the Dual Injector Right: Conventional system injecting to both ports

While similar in theory to “direct-injection” systems, which also inject fuel directly into cylinders, such direct injection systems are difficult to use on small-displacement engines because they require a high-pressure pump that complicates system design, making component layout less cost-efficient. In contrast, the Nissan Dual Injector system is lighter and structurally simpler because it furnishes fuel at normal pressures, reducing cost by about 60% compared to direct-injection engines of similar displacement.

The new Dual Injector system also uses half the amount of rare metals in the catalyzer while maintaining the efficiency of the catalytic conversion system. That number could potentially be reduced to 75% in combination with the ultralow-rare-metal catalysts that were introduced in 2008.

“We consider it important to further improve the fuel efficiency of gasoline engines as demand for gasoline and other internal-combustion systems continues to increase around the world,” said Shuichi Nishimura, Corporate Vice President, Nissan Powertrain Engineering Division. “By widely applying the Dual Injector system on small-displacement engines, we hope to help reduce CO2 emissions and conserve rare metals.”

Nissan has been addressing a wide range of actions under “Blue Citizenship,” which represents the company’s desire to protect the blue planet and to be a corporate citizen that can live symbiotically with people and society. These efforts range from such global issues as the environmental protection to contribution to communities, promoting diversity and making personal mobility available to as many people as possible. Nissan continues promoting the “Nissan Green Program 2010,” based on the “Blue Citizenship” spirit by introducing effective technologies, products and services into the market.

*1: Mass production passenger cars (Nissan’s research).
*2: Compared with Nissan gasoline-powered engines in the same class.

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Unbelieving that Nissan will set up for 1.0 Litre entry model just only 870,000 – 890,000 Yen compare to Pino Model 660 cc begin at 860,000 Yen.

Nissan could be cut pricing on them because They move to produce at Thailand by A-platform Project and then may be discontinue Pino Sales.

The next March model to be cheapest price of Non-Mini segment.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s electric vehicle is twice as expensive as popular hybrid cars by rivals Toyota and Honda, but Japan’s No. 4 automaker said Friday the i-MiEV will help it survive increasingly intense global competition.

“With the electric vehicle, we will challenge global players,” said Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko at a news conference where the company rolled out the new model.

The i-MiEV is powered solely by electricity, and can be recharged from a regular home socket. The four-seater vehicle can run up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) after charging seven hours at 200 volts.

“It is a zero-emission vehicle. It does not rely on oil, which is different from hybrid cars,” Masuko said. A hybrid car switches between a gas engine and electric motor to boost mileage.

The price tag is also different. Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV costs 4.59 million yen ($47,560), more than twice as much as Toyota Motor Corp.’s new Prius hybrid vehicle, which is just over 2 million yen, or Honda Motor Co.’s Insight, which starts at 1.89 million yen, the cheapest hybrid on the market.

Masuko acknowledged the high price is a major hurdle to encouraging people to buy the i-MiEV, which stands for Mitsubishi innovative electric vehicle. (The initial “i” doesn’t have any particular meaning, the company says.)

“This is not the price that ordinary people can easily buy. But as we increase our production, we aim to cut the price below 2 million yen,” he said without elaborating further.

Masuko noted i-MiEV buyers can receive hefty subsidies and pay no tax under a government program promoting the use of ecological vehicles. With the help of government subsidies, the i-MiEV costs 3.209 million yen, down 43 percent from the original price. The vehicle is also tax-free for three years.

The subsidy program for electric vehicles runs from April to March next year. But an official at the trade ministry said the government plans to extend the program.

Initially, Mitsubishi aims to sell 1,400 units of the i-MiEV to local governments and companies during the current business year through March 2010. Sales to individual consumers in Japan will begin next April.

Masuko said the company had spent more than 40 years to develop the i-MiEV, but declined to say how much the company had invested in its development.

Various automakers are racing to develop electric cars amid rising oil prices and concerns about global warming.

Malaysia’s national car maker Proton and Detroit Electric, a Netherlands-based company plan to make electric cars by early next year. U.S.-based Tesla Motors has a prototype electric car that is scheduled to be produced by 2011.

Toyota said it plans to sell electric vehicles in the U.S. by 2012, while Nissan Motor Co. said it will market electric vehicles in Japan and the U.S. after April 2010.

The company aims to sell 250 units abroad, mainly in Britain and other European countries, in the current financial year. Mitsubishi also plans to sell the i-MiEV in China and the United States, but Masuko gave no details.

Globally, Mitsubishi hopes to sell 15,000 units for the year through March 2012.

But the company can only make a profit on the i-MiEV if it produces 30,000 units per year, Masuko said.

“We want to reach that level as early as possible,” he said without giving further details.

He added that the company is considering making a commercial electric vehicle.

“We are looking ahead. We look at the global auto market of 10 or 20 years later from now,” Masuko said. “We are in the midst of global auto competition, and we should not be left behind.”

Mitsubishi Motors’ share price has jumped recently on hopes for the new car. On Friday, it rose 2.3 percent to close at 175 yen after surging almost 12 percent Thursday.