Mitsubishi 380 a bit of Aussie ingenuity

The Mitsubishi 380 is a seriously good big car.

John Leighton talks of a "continuum" at Mitsubishi. In this case a sequence of engineering firsts such as "intelligent" transmission; active differential and yaw control technology in the Lancer Evolution; the electronic four-wheel-drive system in the Pajero ...

"There has been a long string of innovations at Mitsubishi and in many cases the company has been first to the market with them," said Leighton, Mitsubishi New Zealand managing director.

"Some of been successful, some have failed. The intelligent transmission introduced in the Galant was awful at the start, but Mitsubishi quickly improved it and then everyone else started doing it."

Yet another example of making the best use of existing technology, says Leighton, is the new engine-management system in the 380 sedan, the Australian-built replacement for the Diamante.

It was developed by Mitsubishi engineers in Adelaide, together with German company Bosch.

"The build of the management system is remarkable," says Leighton. "We all like to give the Australians a hard time, but this is a bit of Australian ingenuity. It's as good as anything coming out of Europe."

The system was developed, says the carmaker, to meet stringent new Euro 3 emissions requirements (the first Australian-built car to do so) and to allow the front-drive 380 to run on different octane-rated fuels.

It says it uses a "torque-demand" method to identify settings for engine variables such a throttle-valve position, injection time, and ignition timing. It says a conventional management system, on the other hand, lets its computer decide how best to manage the unco-ordinated interactions between separate inputs.

The Society of Automotive Engineers gave Mitsubishi an award for the engine- management system.

Said engineer Lee Kennich, the boss of research and development in Adelaide: "The trophy means a lot to Australia at the moment - the cupboard's a bit empty." (New Zealand has the Bledisloe Cup and England the Ashes).

The 380 goes on sale here early next month. It is a modified version of the American-market Galant, heavily reworked for the Australian and New Zealand markets, on standard 17-inch wheels.

There are six models: 380 manual ($38,990); 380 automatic ($40,990); 380 LS ($43,990); 380 VR-X ($44,990); 380 LX ($47,990); 380 GT ($50,990).

It is powered by a 3.8-litre V6 engine producing 175kW (235bhp) at 5250rpm and 343Nm of torque at 4000rpm and is mated to either five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions.

The engines in the VR-X and GT produce 180kW, courtesy of induction tuning.

The carmaker says the 380 swallows between 10.8 and 11.4 litres of fuel every 100km. Mitsubishi NZ technical services manager Lloyd Robinson averaged 8.3 litres/100km between Wellington and Auckland.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Japan says the 380 is the best of its global vehicles. Mitsubishi in Australia and New Zealand say the same thing. They are not wrong. It is a seriously good big car: refined, quiet, roomy and comfortable. The engine-gearbox combination is a crackerjack, likewise the stable and sure-footed ride/handling mix, helped by a strong, stiff body and independent suspension: MacPherson struts with stabiliser bar up front and a multi-link arrangement with stabiliser bar in the rear.

The outgoing Diamante was no match for newer big-car offerings from established mainstream players Toyota, Holden, Ford, and Nissan. The Mitsubishi 380 might just scare the pants off them all.