To achieve success in the Indian auto sector or to catch up the attraction of the car-buyers; for this purpose, Mitsubishi is planning to launch a new small car in India, but the car would not be manufactured in partnership with Hindustan Motors which at present is a bit financially constricted. Hindustan Motors is a C K Birla-group company and has been in technical collaboration with Mitsubishi since 1998. The corporate GM for Asia and Asean of Mitsubishi, Masahiko Ueki mentioned that the company is studying several opportunities for its entry in the small car segment of the domestic market. The company is ready to go solo with the launch of the small car in the Indian car market but nothing is finalized yet, he mentioned during the launch of Pajero Sport yesterday.
The Mirage hatchback will make its debut in Thailand by the end of this month. As per the sources, Mitsubishi India has not ruled out the Mirage hatchback for the Indian small car market, it could take at least a couple of years for this car to come into India as Mitsubishi would first need to shore up its dealership and after sales service outlet penetration in the country. The Mirage platform, however, is said to be versatile enough to also spawn a sedan in the future.
The Japanese auto major hopes that its global small car Mitsubishi Mirage would remark buzz sales response from Indian buyers due to its tremendous performance. First time Mirage hatchback was launched in year 2011 now it has been one of popular in Japan. Mitsubishi Mirage price for the Indian auto market yet to be disclosed but it is expected to fall in the range of Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh at ex-showroom.
The Mitsubishi hatchback heading for India is powered by a 1-litre 3 cylinder petrol engine. It also has another engine option which is a 1.2-litre, but this one is in the making. The Mirage is known for its mileage and energy regeneration techniques in India. The Mirage offers a 20 kmpl mileage and will be equipped with start stop and several new technologies unavailable in any hatchback. A CVT transmission will be there which is excellently well for city driving.
According to Hindustan Motors senior official, Mitsubishi has been present in India for over a decade but has always been way behind other Japanese auto giants like Suzuki, Toyota and Honda. At present Mitsubishi retails its products through only 39 outlets across the country. The range of products from Mitsubishi includes Lancer and Cedia in the sedan segment, Outlander and Pajero in the SUV segment. All these products are manufactured at Hindustan Motors’ factory in Chennai and are also marketed by Hindustan Motors. Mitsubishi despite its decade long presence in the Indian Market has failed to make its mark and had sold only around 3000 units in the year 2011. As per Mr. Ueki, in order to boost volumes, the company is planning to bring to Indian roads a new version of Outlander which was revealed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
Also see – Mitsubishi Mirage production model to debut in Tokyo
2012 Mitsubishi Mirage will be sold globally, will it come to India?
See more pictures of Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback –
Source – BusinessStandard
