Mitsubishi's '380' all-new sporty sedan launched

Mitsubishi’s sporty and powerful, all-new large sedan – the Mitsubishi 380 – has been launched in to the Australian Large Sedan market today.

Mitsubishi has undertaken a massive investment program of over $600 million, and has undertaken exhaustive engineering and testing here and overseas. This, coupled with the use of worldwide expertise both within the global Mitsubishi group and world best practice suppliers from around the globe, has seen the development of a new large car that truly reflects the needs of the Australian buying public

1) True large car power and performance Powered by a responsive and sweet-sounding 3.8 litre 24-valve SOHC MPI V6 engine that develops a continuous 175kW power at 5250rpm, and 343Nm of torque at 4000rpm the ‘380’ has all the performance that Australian buyers require. It does all this with outstanding fuel economy, more like that find in a medium sedan.

The 3.8 litre engine has been specifically developed to provide the power and torque demanded by Australian drivers – be it for covering the long distances between remote towns effortlessly, or for towing loads – and uses a number of components developed for the Ralliart Magna in early 2002. It is the first Australian manufactured car to be Euro3 compliant, and it also meets the new, more stringent drive-by noise regulations.

Suspension Understanding that outstanding handling and roadholding are all important, MMAL has developed a unique suspension system for the new 380, known as BOS (Body Optimised Suspension) system.. The BOS system is a fully independent suspension – a robust MacPherson strut with coil over and lower A-arm at the front and multi-link at the rear. Stabiliser bars are fitted front and rear, and the dampers have been specifically tuned to give a sporty and fun drive with high dynamic capabilities in line with the car’s positioning in the market.

The front suspension cross member is low and flat, but rigid and light, to allow the steering rack and tie rods to be close to the plane of the lower control arms to reduce bump steer and improve directional stability.

The rear suspension is a sophisticated low-mount, multi-link arrangement. The low profile positioning of the entire rear suspension – with its strategic location of coil springs, shock absorbers and links, and reduced mounting point height – helps to liberate more trunk space.

Transmissions are five-speed fully synchronised manual especially developed for the torque of the large six-cylinder engine, and a five-speed INVECS II ‘Smart Logic’ automatic with ‘Sports Mode’ sequential mode available across the range.

Braking is provided by a large and specially developed braking package utilising Mitsubishi’s extensive rally experience. The front discs are 294 mm diameter ventilated discs with 2-pot calipers, while the rear are 284 mm diameter ventilated discs with 1-pot calipers. ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) optimises braking effort between front and rear, regardless of loading conditions and gentle or emergency stops. The brakes provide the driver with confidence for fade-free and sure stops over many applications.

2) Sporty exterior styling The Mitsubishi 380 has a unique Diamond Product Strategy that begins with the standard 380 sedan. The customer then has the choice of either of two luxury variants (LS and LX) or a sporty variant (VRX). The pinnacle of the range (the GT) combines all the features of both the luxury and sporty variants.

The four-door sedan has a coupe-like sporty style that gives the impression that the car is moving forwards even when it is standing still. The frontal treatment of the car is unique to Australia with new bonnet, front guards, grille and bumpers being designed for the Australian car. There are two treatments within the model range – one for the standard and luxury models 380, LS and LX), and one for the sporty and sporty luxury models (VRX and GT).

nside, there is a different treatment for each price line.

The 380 has a black / black interior treatment with a modern, sophisticated interior ambience. The highlight panels feature a titanium-look.

The LS and LX models feature a black / beige treatment with woodgrain print highlight panels. The LS has cloth trim, while the LX has a stippled leather trim.

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