Mitsubishi 380
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| Mitsubishi 380 | |
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| Manufacturer | Mitsubishi Motors |
| Also called | Mitsubishi 380 Series II |
| Production | 2005–present |
| Assembly | Adelaide, Australia |
| Predecessor | Mitsubishi Magna |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | Mitsubishi PS platform |
| Engine | 6G75 3.8 L V6 |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual 5-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | 2750 mm |
| Length | 4837 mm (VRX: 4855 mm) |
| Width | 1840 mm |
| Height | 1480 mm |
| Curb weight | 1625 kg (VRX: 1670 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 67 L |
| Related | Mitsubishi Galant |
| Similar | Honda Accord Hyundai Sonata Toyota Aurion |
The Mitsubishi 380, now known as Mitsubishi 380 Series II, is the successor to the Mitsubishi Magna/Verada line of vehicles built by Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (MMAL). The company spent over AU$600 million developing and producing the car. It is manufactured at the Tonsley Park, Adelaide plant. The 380 is a V6 engined car that targets the "family car" segment; it also tried to appeal to the "high performance" segment. The Mitsubishi 380 continues the tradition of MMAL to produce front-wheel drive sedans for the Australian market, to compete against the rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore sedans. Prices start from AU$27,990.
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[edit] Background
Based on the North American Galant, the main visible differences from the Galant and the 380 are the bonnet, front guards, grilles and bumpers. There have also been changes to 70% of the American car to create a car more suited to the Australian market, such as the use of higher quality materials and new sophisticated suspension designs.
The 380 is a sedan only, and is powered by an all-new 6G75 3.8 L V6 engine. Unusually, the sports model does not have a more powerful engine than the cheapest entry level model, although an update to the engine is in the pipeline and power is said to increase to 190 kW for sports models (up from 175 kW). This was because financial difficulties forced Mitsubishi to shut down its Australian engine factory. An anomaly is that the manual 380 ES (a manual transmission is optional on the ES) is actually the fastest. The 380 outputs 175 kW and 343 N·m of torque, and is mated to a five-speed automatic or manual.
[edit] Trim levels
The 380 comes in five trim levels:
- ES
- SX
- LX
- VRX
- GT
The ES has standard options like front and side air bags, automatic climate control, power mirrors, power windows, power driver's seat, steering wheel-mounted remote audio controls, and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution. The SX has different trim, electrochromatic mirrors, and alloy wheels. The LX has leather upholstery, 10-way power seats with memory, and a sunroof. The GT has all available options as standard, including Bluetooth connectivity. In New Zealand, where the car is also sold, the VR-X and GT produce an extra 5 kW due to a less restrictive induction system fitted (and lesser noise regulations).
Also the SX, VRX and GT get stiffer suspension and lower ride height over the ES and LX.
[edit] Sales
The 380 went on sale on October 13, 2005. It has sold in lesser numbers than expected and on January 20, 2006, MMAL announced that voluntary redundancies would be offered to 250 production employees to bring production in-line with customer demand. In March 2006 the manufacturing plant closed for three weeks.[1]
In late April 2006, Mitsubishi announced price reductions. The entry-model, now called the ES, was reduced from $34,490 to $27,990. An SX model was introduced, priced at $32,990, while the LS model was dropped. Prices on VRX, LX, and GT models were also reduced by amounts ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Mitsubishi also announced that up to 1,500 retail customers who paid the old price would be eligible for a factory rebate of up to $2,000.
Mitsubishi sold 9,266 units of the Mitsubishi 380 in 2006 up to August.[2]
MMAL is now currently negotiating with Proton of Malaysia on the possibility of exporting the 380 to Malaysia as the rebadged replacement of the Proton Perdana executive model.
[edit] Awards
The 380 received Australia's Best Cars Large Car 2005 award, as well as IAG Insurance group's rating as the most secure Australian family car. Previously the 3.8 L engine won an award for excellence from the Society of Australasian Engineers.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "Mitsubishi takes 3 weeks off", Andrew Heasley & Rachel Kleinman, The Age, February 10 2006
- ^ Vehicle Sales July 2006, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
- ^ Australia's Best Cars
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Official New Zealand website
- Autospeed review 29 July, 2006
- Web Wombat 380 VRX review
- Web Wombat 380 GT review
