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ref: The 380's dead, long live the Mitsubishi ZT - drive.com.au

The 380's dead, long live the Mitsubishi ZT
Joshua Dowling, The Sydney Morning Herald, 11/02/08

Meet Mitsubishi's new sedan - drive.com.au

Mitsubishi exits the local large-car market in March but the Concept ZT from the 2007 Tokyo motor show is set to become the Japanese brand's imported rival for the Falcon and Commodore. JOSHUA DOWLING reports.

Mitsubishi Concept ZTMitsubishi Concept ZTMitsubishi Concept ZT


This is the car that could replace the Mitsubishi 380 sedan, which is due to go out of production when the Adelaide factory closes at the end of next month.

This concept car, unveiled at last year's Tokyo motor show, was all but lost amid all the other glitz and glamour. But it has renewed significance now that the demise of the 380 is imminent.

Mitsubishi says the Concept ZT was a styling exercise but closer inspection revealed it was nearer to the finished product than the company was letting on.

The 380 replacement is still about two years away from arriving in showrooms but the concept provides some telling insights.

In every dimension it is larger than the current model Mitsubishi sedan and also has a host of advanced technology features, such as a pedestrian-friendly front end, self-parking technology and all-round views from inside thanks to tiny cameras.

The cameras are most likely to be replaced by conventional mirrors but the pedestrian-friendly bonnet and self-parking technology are strong possibilities for the real car.

The concept car also previewed what Mitsubishi calls its "most advanced, clean-burn" diesel engine.

If this vehicle is to replace the 380 sedan, it's likely Mitsubishi Australia will continue with a V6 petrol engine but will supplement the line-up with a diesel option. The addition of a diesel engine is significant. Even at the 11th hour Mitsubishi Australia was examining whether it was economically viable to put a four-cylinder petrol engine in the 380 sedan in a bid to appeal to fuel-conscious buyers. A diesel would broaden the appeal of the new car.

If this car comes to Australia to replace the 380 it will probably take on the model's international name, the Galant. Sadly, one thing is certain: the new model won't be built locally and Mitsubishi is yet to announce whether it will be built in Japan or the United States, the largest market for the car.

Speaking to the motoring media in Melbourne this week, the day after he announced the Adelaide factory closure and the loss of 930 jobs, Mitsubishi Australia chief executive Rob McEniry said it was too early to say when the 380's replacement would be on sale in Australia. However, he expected Mitsubishi eventually would return to the large car class - as an importer.

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McEniry also said it was Australia's, not Japan's, decision to close the local factory.

"Mitsubishi Japan put in $1.5 billion of their money over 10 years, that's $150 million a year, to keep the factory in Australia," he said. "They fought very hard but we recognised it was no longer viable."

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

By the end of the year Mitsubishi will have seven new models in it's range. Some of which are variants of existing models, some are new.