Mitsubishi Developing New Diesel Engine for Europe
20 June 2006
Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have agreed on a joint development project for a next-generation diesel engine to be used in cars exported to Europe. After the agreement is finalized, development will begin in earnest with a target of beginning mass production in 2010.
The engine will be a two-liter class unit aimed for use in small to mid-sized cars. In addition to meeting Euro5 standards, the unit is will be designed to achieve best-in-class levels of output and emissions performance. Development will be completed in mid-2009, and the engine will be introduced to Mitsubishi Motors’ key European market models.
In addition to possibly providing engineering expertise gained through experience in industrial and marine diesel engines, as well as in gas turbine technologies, Mitsubishi Heavy is studying the provision of equipment and systems for development and testing. Also, expert engineers may be dispatched from Mitsubishi Heavy to Mitsubishi Motors to aid in the project.
Going forward, Mitsubishi Heavy will continue to provide technical expertise and support to aid in the execution of Mitsubishi Motors’ revitalization plan, while also expanding co-development projects and other businesses that benefit both companies.
Mitsubishi Motors is developing this diesel engine as a nucleus of its environmentally friendly technology along with its work with electric vehicles. (Earlier post.)
Mitsubishi Motors currently uses proprietary diesel engines in its European market Pajero SUV model as well as in the Triton pickup (L200) manufactured in Thailand. In its small and mid-sized cars, however, it uses diesel engines supplied by Volkswagen AG and DaimlerChrysler AG.
I can see the Japanese charge into Europe with diesels in a few years.
Posted by: allen zheng | 20 June 2006 at 07:54 AM
Sure would like to see them charge into the US with a well designed and built Diesel-Hybrid.
Posted by: Lucas | 20 June 2006 at 08:15 AM
Regular readers to this site, and those knowledgible about the diesel regulations should know why these types of diesels will not be coming to the US.
Posted by: Mark A | 20 June 2006 at 08:32 AM
Not only is this diesel unlikely to come to the US due to emissions regulations but Mitsubishi might be pulling out of the US as an auto manufacturer.
Posted by: Patrick | 20 June 2006 at 08:48 AM
Patrick
Mitsubishi is not pulling out of the US as a manufacturer.
http://www.mitsubishicars.com/company/us_commitment.html
The most recent flurry of "Mitsu is leaving" nonsense came from an Automotive News story which misquoted an MMC authority as saying they "might leave" if a certain product range flopped. Automotive News pulled the story from its website and printed a followup piece.
The diesel engine is unlikely to come to the U.S.(1) because MMC has already said, in a news release, that it is being built for Europe (2) because diesels are unpopular in the U.S. and (3)because of the difference in regulations mentioned above.
Posted by: Mitsufan | 20 June 2006 at 09:56 PM
Well, looking at this from a European point-of-view, the decision to go for a two-litre diesel engine for small to mid-sized cars seems about ten years out-of-date.
Small to mid-sized cars nowadays need 1.2 to 1.6 litre diesel engines. Aside from supplying ample power for European taste while lowering fuel consumption, these smaller engines have significantly lower yearly taxes levied on them in many countries than these 2.0 litre engines of yore.
Moreover, these smaller engines are more future-safe in that they can be paired up in a hybrid set-up to replace bigger engines to deliver extra fuel-efficiency gains.
Finally, Mitsubishi simply doesn't have the sales numbers in the bigger cars to justify their development.
Posted by: lambreja | 25 June 2006 at 12:35 PM
if anyone knows any thing about hybrids they only benefit in city trafic so most germans that travel the autobaun daily the hybrid would cost more to drive than a mechanicly powertrained car
Posted by: chris novosad | 08 September 2007 at 12:20 PM