Mitsubishi to boost global engine output

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution-X MIVEC Engine

Tokyo, Japan -- Japan's fourth-largest automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. plans to lift domestic output capacity of fuel-efficient lightweight automobile engines by 35 percent to 385,000 units a year by the fall of 2009, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday without citing sources.

The automaker intends to spend a total of 9 billion yen ($84.2 million) at its engine plant in Shiga Prefecture to achieve the increase, the report said.

The engines are to be fitted mainly in strategic vehicles such as the Lancer sedan and Outlander sport utility vehicle for export to Europe, resource-rich nations and elsewhere.

Mitsubishi Motors churns out 1.8-, 2- and 2.4-litre versions of the four-cylinder engines, which were co-developed by Germany's Daimler AG and South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co.

Instead of using cast iron on some outside parts, the automaker uses aluminium to make the engines 15 percent lighter.

Some of the models Mitsubishi has planned include the upcoming turbocharged Lancer Ralliart, new Sportback range, and a new compact crossover based on the Lancer platform.

[Source : Automotive News (Subscription required)]