Mitsubishi Motors India along with their technical partners Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation Ltd (HMFCL) is considering and also testing the Delica multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) for the Indian market to take on vehicles like the popular Toyota Innova in the MPV space. Though no official confirmation has been made on its introduction, HMFCL Chief Executive Officer P. Vijayan hinted that the vehicle is being considered for the Indian roads. He refused to give details.
Built by Mitsubishi Motors since 1968, this vehicle got its name from ‘Delivery Car’, since the vehicle was more like a small pickup truck originally. The most recent version is the Delica D:5 which is a pure passenger vehicle on the lines of the Innova. Since January 2013 the vehicle is available with a clean diesel engine. The vehicle sold in Indonesia has an overall length of 4730mm, an overall width of 1795mm, a height of 1850mm and a wheelbase of 2850mm. The vehicle has a ground clearance of 190mm, something which hard core SUVs have. The vehicle has a kerb weight of 1685 kg and can seat seven people comfortably. It has a turning radius of 5.7metres.
Meanwhile, Mitsubishi has decided that it would only be focussing on the Indian Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment. Currently, Mitsubishi has a technical collaboration with Hindustan Motors to manufacture Mitsubishi vehicles in India at the latter’s plant in Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to Motown India, Uttam Bose, Managing Director of HMFC, noted that his company along with Mitsubishi have decided to stay away from the passenger car segment where there is intense “price war”. He said the company will, in 2015, introduce the new models of the Montero and the Outlander in India. Currently, only the Pajero is sold in the country.
Both Bose and Vijayan and other senior officials of the company were in New Delhi to introduce renowned car rally champion from Japan Hiroshi Masuoka to Indian journalists and Mitsubishi loyalists. Masuoka has won some prestigious races for Mitsubishi and he talked a great deal about the new technologies in the best selling Pajero that enable a driver to clear all kinds of obstacles on the road
Masuoka will be in Pune on February 13, 2015 where he will mingle with journalists and participate in the ‘Pajero Heart in Mouth’ event. Masuoka has chosen Pune for his motoring debut in India. The Japanese racer will be interacting with customers and other stakeholders of HMFCL-Mitsubishi Motors on February 14 and 15 respectively.
Masuoka created a flutter in the world of racing with his back-to-back successes in the Dakar Rally in 2002 and 2003. The inter-continental rally is considered the world’s toughest car driving contest. He was also victorious in the 2003 Baja Italy and the 2004 UAE Desert Challenge. Very recently, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) concluded the Pikes Peak Challenge in September 2014 with him. Uttam Bose, stated that Masuoka will also be interacting with SUV fans, the company’s dealers and other stakeholders during his India visit.
The 2024 Mahindra Thar Roxx from Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. is the first new passenger vehicle to feature Monroe OE Solutions passive dampers fitted with Tenneco’s Monroe Ride Refine Advanced Hydrauli...
Lanxess is offering a new solution for the rapidly growing battery industry. The Lewatit MK 51 ion exchange resin from Lanxess selectively removes boron from metal concentrates, thus enabling the extr...
Magenta Mobility, India’s leading sustainable logistics solutions provider, has developed and implemented NorMinc, an advanced IoT-powered vehicle management platform designed to transform fleet opera...