First look at new Mitsubishi sedan

Mitsubishi says the new car's 3.8-litre V6 engine is smoother and more fuel-efficient than rival six-cylinders units in the mainstream large-car sector.

This is the first official picture of the new Mitsubishi 380 sedan, the car Mitsubishi Motors Corporation says is the best of its global vehicles.

The Australian-built 380 will be launched in New Zealand in a couple of weeks as the replacement for the Diamante.

It is a modified version of the front-drive American-market Galant, reworked for the Australian and New Zealand markets as part of the carmaker's worldwide revitalisation plan.

Mitsubishi says the 380 is a better all-round driving experience than the Galant: quieter, more refined and more comfortable.

It says the new car's 3.8-litre V6 engine - a development of the 3.5-litre engine from the Diamante - is smoother and more fuel-efficient than rival six-cylinders units in the mainstream large-car sector.

The carmaker says the 380 swallows between 10.8 and 11.4 litres of fuel for every 100km.

The 380 engine develops 175kW (235bhp) at 5250rpm and 343Nm of torque at 4000rpm and is mated to either five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions.

The new model is the first Australian-built car to meet stringent Euro3 emissions requirements, says the company.

The 380 will be available in four models - LS, LX, VR-X and GT Signature - each with 17-inch wheels, the latest anti-lock braking system and vented rear discs.

It comes with independent suspension all round: MacPherson struts with stabiliser bar up front and a multi-link arrangement with stabiliser bar in the rear.

The exterior shape of the 380 is designed to reduce wind resistance and drag as well as to minimise wind noise.

Inside, it is a typical large car, with room for occupants and ample storage space, says Mitsubishi. There are large front-door pockets, two front and two rear cup holders, a glove box and holder for sunglasses.

The boot lid is hinged by gas springs for easy opening. The carmaker says the hinges do not intrude upon the cargo area. The 380 carries a full-sized spare wheel.

Mitsubishi says the body of the 380 has twice the bending and torsional stiffness of the carmaker's previous benchmark model, thanks to presses that stamp out one complete side of the car in one hit instead of in four panels.

The line-up of presses at the Adelaide plant is the largest with the MMC group and the largest of its type within the Australian automotive industry.

The presses are large enough to make panels for any current Mitsubishi model, including four-wheel-drives, says the company.

The presses cost around $40 million, part of the $640 million Mitsubishi invested in the plant and the 380. Australian taxpayers stumped up another $640 million.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd believes it can sell 38,000 of the 380 models in the first year. Mitsubishi New Zealand will be aiming at sales of 2000 or so. The 380 launches with nine exterior paint colours.

There is no word on price here yet. Mitsubishi will go all out to push sales of the 380 in both countries .

The future of the Adelaide plant rests largely on the success of the car. If it sells well, the factory gates will remain open and Mitsubishi Australia will almost certainly have an expanded development role in future global models.

If the 380 struggles, the hopes of Mitsubishi Australia staying in business as a carmaker are pretty much doomed; so is investment of $1.3 billion and thousands of jobs.

The carmaker reckons it has a winner on its hands. "We've done more customer research on the 380 than any other car and the feedback has been very positive," said a spokesman.