Mitsubishi surprised at the Geneva Motor Show by debuting a new ‘B-Segment’ (small car) model. The hatchback is called ‘e-compact’ and production is scheduled to kick-off early 2012 at the company’s new Thailand manufacturing plant.
Some 80 per cent of the new model will be built for export to all global market, including Australia.
Mitsubishi says while Japan, Europe and North America are included in the plans, more than 50 per cent of the global new car market by 2013 will be in the fast-growing China and ASEAN markets where ‘B-Segment’ size cars are most popular. Mitsubishi reckons its newcomer will still appeal to buyers in those more mature markets where there is a general trend amongst buyers for ‘downsizing’.
Developed in Japan, the ‘e-compact’ (expect a better name when it goes on sale) is a five-seater, 3.74m in length and 1.68m wide, providing ample interior and luggage space.
Power comes from two all-new petrol engines (1.0-litres and 1.2-litres), but Mitsubishi says the flexible chassis architecture has been designed to accommodate a later pure-electric model. Auto start/stop and brake energy regeneration are amongst the fuel-saving technologies included and the Mitsubishi ‘e-compact’ has been engineered to meet all global emission standards.
