Mitsubishi Confirms 380 Replacement

csv8 · 07-03-2007, 08:09 PM

Mitsubishi confirms 380 replacement
Bruce Newton, drive.com.au, 05/03/07

Adelaide car maker is ready to commit to another generation of its large car, but there's no decision yet on whether it will be built in Australia, writes BRUCE NEWTON.

Mitsubishi 380
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has all but committed to building a new-generation large car, but there is no indication as yet from Tokyo whether a version will be built at the Tonsley Park plant in Adelaide.

Mitsubishi Australia president and CEO Rob McEniry told drive he did not expect a decision from Japan until next year on Tonsley Park’s future beyond the current 380.

“They (MMC) will do another large car, that is virtually ticked off,” he said. “They are going through the final stages of the gate review process at the moment.

“They do not want to get out of Australia,” McEniry added. “They want to continue here. Market conditions are going to be really the final determinant… Whether the market is there for that size car in the future.”

That’s obviously going to be a tough call considering large cars – the market segment dominated by the four local manufacturers Holden, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi – has been sliding dramatically in sales and market share in recent years.

But Mitsubishi’s decision to build a large car to replace the car sold as the 380 here and the Galant in North America is still a huge step forward in the never-ending fight to keep Tonsley Park’s doors open.

MMC had not been guaranteed to continue building large cars given the financial, ownership and recall issues that had dogged it in recent years.

Mitsubishi Australia has yet to be involved in planning discussions for the 380 replacement.

“Tokyo have started working on it,” McEniry said. “We fall into the category of ‘this is what you are going to do’. We are not a Ford or Holden that develops a car from the ground up.

“I know they will have started designs and all that sort of stuff on a replacement car. We just haven’t been included in that process as yet.”

However, he did admit he knew the actual dimensions of the car had yet to be locked away: “it may not be as large as the large car today.”

Under McEniry’s direction the 380 build rate at Tonsley Park has been slashed to just 55 per day (or around 1000 per month), a level other local automotive industry members dismiss as being economically unsustainable.

But McEniry insists that Mitsubishi Australia is now a money maker and consistently repatriating earnings to head office.

He conceded that the future of Tonsley Park could be decided in a straight fight with Mitsubishi’s US assembly plant in Normal, Illinois, where the left-hand drive Galant is built.

But he said he was confident of Tonsley Park’s credentials and that Mitsubishi Motors was well aware of them.

“We are certainly piece-cost competitive and we have much more flexibility to do things along our line than they do (Normal),” he said. “They (Japan) know the capabilities of the place, they know the cost structures, they know all that. They will work through their normal processes.”

An alternate scenario might be that Normal remains as the left-hand drive production source while Tonsley Park is the right-hand drive source. Alternately, Tonsley Park might be reassigned to build another vehicle.

**Fordman1** · 07-03-2007, 08:14 PM

If they REALLY haven't been included in the development process......

then they're gone.

Sad BUT TRUE.

Serial_Fool · 07-03-2007, 08:16 PM

See Mitsubishi Australia doesn't even design their own cars. How can a designer in Japan make a car that will suit our way of life?

dandaman · 07-03-2007, 08:43 PM

It would be good for australian workers if they could cut production of the galant over there and export it. Supposedly the quality/final finish is better of the 380 then the galant.

The us factory should still be able to operate as they make pickups, eclipses, and some other 4wd's i think.

Deadman · 07-03-2007, 09:25 PM

Fingers crossed it's a positve result for Mitsu Aus.

GXL078 · 07-03-2007, 09:30 PM

They need an AWD wagon. They had one, then they put an UGLY front on it, then they dropped it altogether.

pertuan · 07-03-2007, 09:43 PM

I hope they replace it with something thats still gonna be built in SA. And also something that SELLS!!!

S3SR · 07-03-2007, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serial_Fool

See Mitsubishi Australia doesn't even design their own cars. How can a designer in Japan make a car that will suit our way of life?

our way of life is judged by the size of our pockets..... you NEED/WANT it no doubt you'll get it

as for the locally designed for our harsh climates....im sure mitsu has enough "harsh" environment data from the Dakar rally.

i reckon they should just make their new large family car look the same as the new EVO X ....thats one sexy looking beast

Ralliart · 07-03-2007, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FALCONSR

our way of life is judged by the size of our pockets..... you NEED/WANT it no doubt you'll get it

as for the locally designed for our harsh climates....im sure mitsu has enough "harsh" environment data from the Dakar rally.

i reckon they should just make their new large family car look the same as the new EVO X ....thats one sexy looking beast

the new lancers will look like the new evo x so watch out for a whole new set of lancer coming after 2008, and i have pics to prove it.

Ralliart · 07-03-2007, 10:25 PM

GTS_300_Coupe · 07-03-2007, 10:27 PM

I hope Mitsubishi go under and drown.
Apart from the Evo series which are amazing, they really have no idea how to build a good car.

380 was decent but they really tried to compete with Holden/Ford/Toyota which was their downfall.

GXL078 · 07-03-2007, 10:33 PM

Lancer looks very NICE. Very much like a Volvo S40.

ads · 07-03-2007, 11:05 PM

Anyone seen the TMR 380? It's Mitsubishi's new "hero car". Apparently the car pumps out a "whopping" 230kW at the front wheels with a "blistering" zero to 100 time of 7.6 seconds (in Wheels this month). I guess someone forgot to tell mitsu that that a loaded Fairmont Ghia with luxo suspension still manages to pull 7.5, with 40 less killowatts, 50 more kilos and no supercharger. And they wonder why they're eating s%$t on the sales charts? An XR6T would be half way to Darwin by the time the TMR stopped bagging up the front wheels. At least it looks good... as good as a 380 gets anyway.

Two things mitsubishi: AWD and twin turbos.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTS_300_Coupe

I hope Mitsubishi go under and drown.
Apart from the Evo series which are amazing, they really have no idea how to build a good car.

380 was decent but they really tried to compete with Holden/Ford/Toyota which was their downfall.

I agree. There are serious manufacturers out there (i.e. Ford, Holden, Toyota) making a go of it designing Aussie cars. It's no good whinging that Japan's breathing down your neck and begging us to buy your rehashed american cars, bugger off mitsubishi I say. 380 is solid, but solid is not enough any more.

Ralliart · 07-03-2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ads

Anyone seen the TMR 380? It's Mitsubishi's new "hero car". Apparently the car pumps out a "whopping" 230kW at the front wheels with a "blistering" zero to 100 time of 7.6 seconds (in Wheels this month). I guess someone forgot to tell mitsu that that a loaded Fairmont Ghia with luxo suspension still manages to pull 7.5, with 40 less killowatts, 50 more kilos and no supercharger. And they wonder why they're eating s%$t on the sales charts? An XR6T would be half way to Darwin by the time the TMR stopped bagging up the front wheels. At least it looks good... as good as a 380 gets anyway.

Two things mitsubishi: AWD and twin turbos.

I agree. There are serious manufacturers out there (i.e. Ford, Holden, Toyota) making a go of it designing Aussie cars. It's no good whinging that Japan's breathing down your neck and begging us to buy your rehashed american cars, bugger off mitsubishi I say. 380 is solid, but solid is not enough any more.

yes dude i saw it at the melb motor show look at my pics at my site.

SpoolMan · 07-03-2007, 11:19 PM

2008 Lancer looks the goods, i like it.

Deadman · 07-03-2007, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTS_300_Coupe

I hope Mitsubishi go under and drown.
Apart from the Evo series which are amazing, they really have no idea how to build a good car.

380 was decent but they really tried to compete with Holden/Ford/Toyota which was their downfall.

I rekon if Mitsubishi Oz had the money they wanted to, they'd show the other big 3 down here a thing or two - but that's the thing, they don't have the money. It's not that they don't have any idea - they can't spend what they want, Mitsu has been in financial crisis over the past years, they can't exactly go out and build what they want - it doesn't work like that. They've just had to work with what they could and the budgets they had.

Not to mention that it's a bit rich hoping a company goes "under and drown" when they create jobs for many Australians and offer a lot to our industry. Disliking the car is one thing, hoping a "local" company goes bust is another.

FordFalconBF · 07-03-2007, 11:39 PM

Please buy a 380!!!.. I NEED TO KEEP MY JOB!

They are quite a good car if people actually bothered to test drive one.

Getting two for my wedding this Saturday! Yeh I am getting married.. ARGH!@@!@!@!@!

:

:

Cya,
Alan - Been working at Mitsubishi Tonsley Park for 7 Years!

Ralliart · 07-03-2007, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordfairmontxf

Please buy a 380!!!.. I NEED TO KEEP MY JOB!

They are quite a good car if people actually bothered to drive one.

Getting two for my wedding this Saturday! Yeh I am getting married.. ARGH!@@!@!@!@!

:

:

Cya,
Alan - Been working at Mitsubishi Tonsley Park for 7 Years!

what car do drive man

:

FordFalconBF · 07-03-2007, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralliart

what car do drive man

:

Hey,
Yeh I drive an old Boonga XF Fairmont Ghia I got off a guy at work for $500... I have put it on gas for free (rebate) so I am going drive it till it dies.. I am a Ford man, but If I was going get a Mitsubishi I would get the last model Manga VRX. They look good with big mags and lowered.

Getting two White 380LS's I Think.. picking them up this Friday.

Both they car's are going to my soon to be wife/father in-law and the other one is for the brides maids.

Cya,
Alan

FordFalconBF · 07-03-2007, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTS_300_Coupe

I hope Mitsubishi go under and drown.
Apart from the Evo series which are amazing, they really have no idea how to build a good car.

380 was decent but they really tried to compete with Holden/Ford/Toyota which was their downfall.

STFU

Thats all I have to say..

Cya,
Alan

**Bluehoon** · 08-03-2007, 08:32 AM

I hope Mitsu stays in Australia. I like the 380, and it's a damn nice car.

I for one would like to see some passion put into the next model.

As for the lancer, lowered turbo, rims.. :sm_headba :sm_headba

Dave_au · 08-03-2007, 12:11 PM

What is happening to this place, everytime there is a thread about the 380 the same poorly informed posts come out to light, and wow, we're all a very pessimistic bunch!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

If they REALLY haven't been included in the development process......

then they're gone.

Sad BUT TRUE.

They werent included in the development process of the last Magna (1996 model Diamante in J Spec) or Galant (US 2002) (which underpins the 380). Toyota Australia hasn't really been included in the development process of previous Camry's until the last moment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serial_Fool

See Mitsubishi Australia doesn't even design their own cars. How can a designer in Japan make a car that will suit our way of life?

Yeah I know, who would ever buy a Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Lexus, Suzuki or Honda. Clearly not reflective of cars that suit our way of life, never reflected in sales.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xcgxl

They need an AWD wagon. They had one, then they put an UGLY front on it, then they dropped it altogether.

AWD was sedan only - never in the wagon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ads

Anyone seen the TMR 380? It's Mitsubishi's new "hero car". Apparently the car pumps out a "whopping" 230kW at the front wheels with a "blistering" zero to 100 time of 7.6 seconds (in Wheels this month).

If you read the article you'd realise that it was tested in 32C heat on a wet track with 2 blokes and gear aboard. That time is a full .3 seconds slower than the current 380 - it will be better. MotorMag drove it in february and estimated the 0-100 to be in the six second area.

ClevlndStemer · 08-03-2007, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serial_Fool

See Mitsubishi Australia doesn't even design their own cars. How can a designer in Japan make a car that will suit our way of life?

works for Toyota

dandaman · 08-03-2007, 01:13 PM

For the people who say mitsubishi should go down should be ashamed of themselves.

lets hope the company you people work for go bust and leave you out in the cold with kids to clothe and feed and mortgages and bills to pay.

i realise this is a ford forums but wishing for companies to go broke and staff to lose jobs is pretty un-australian

Keepleft · 08-03-2007, 01:21 PM

WHAT is interesting from the Lancer 2008 shots, from a regulators point of view, woud be the California plated cars "side repeater lamps", something mandatory for the world market subscribing to UNECE regulation.

And something US vehicles under FMVSS108, till now, have not required.

Hoping for a good outcome for Mitsu AUS.

Homer1 · 08-03-2007, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serial_Fool

How can a designer in Japan make a car that will suit our way of life?

Then I can also say how can designers in Europe make cars that suits our way of life?? Strange that Japanese and European cars are selling so well in this country?

:

GTP-814 · 08-03-2007, 04:31 PM

Is the 380 a model number or how many they hope to sell.....

I hate to say this & dont like the thought opf loosing jobs in Aust, but they really should import the lancer in stead & stop trying to play in a market they dont have the expertise for

ads · 08-03-2007, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_au

If you read the article you'd realise that it was tested in 32C heat on a wet track with 2 blokes and gear aboard. That time is a full .3 seconds slower than the current 380 - it will be better. MotorMag drove it in february and estimated the 0-100 to be in the six second area.

That's a really good counter point you make, and yeah I read the article and I took it out of context. I cop that. An ES manual will do 7.3, as you've said. But 7.6? It should do better, even in those conditions. High sixes I'd say in good conditions. Mitsubishi needs a better hero than that.

I'm certain that everybody involved in Mitsubishi's operation from the Australia end is slogging their guts out keeping the operation viable. It's a shame that Mitsu Japan won't properly support the Aussie efforts. Japan should go hard or not go at all. It'd be good if they stayed for the sake of our jobs, but at the moment they're not building a great business case are they? A shame because the 380 is a well engineered car.

Exports? Toyota's been exporting fridges to the middle east for years now, imagine if mitsubishi exported a car?

Bossxr8 · 10-03-2007, 02:04 PM

How could Mitsubishi even plan on bringing a new model here when the current one doesn't sell and would probably never even recoup the investment Mitsubishi Australia put into it. Further more how the hell can they make money on a car they are building only 55 a day of when Ford can't even make money on making 360 cars a day. It defies logic.

Dave_au · 10-03-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

How could Mitsubishi even plan on bringing a new model here when the current one doesn't sell and would probably never even recoup the investment Mitsubishi Australia put into it. Further more how the hell can they make money on a car they are building only 55 a day of when Ford can't even make money on making 360 cars a day. It defies logic.

The Mazda 626 wasnt a seller back in 2000/01, but then Mazda released the 6 - I imagine MMC would like to do something similiar

As for Tonsley Park - MMAL managed to push a number of their costs of production to varible costs rather than fixed. They seem rather quite content pumping out 1,000 380s a month with the staffing and other associated costs that they have now.