Mit/Dc Bring a New Midsize Truck to NA

[hemidakota]

Mitsubishi Motors, Chrysler Group Leverage Global Alliance to Bring All-New, Mid-Sized Pickup Trucks to North America
New Trucks to Share Technology and Assembly Line

Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA, December 16, 2003
The Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG and Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) announced today their plans to produce mid-sized pickup trucks at the Chrysler Group's Warren (Mich.) Truck Assembly Plant. While the two vehicles will share technology, they will be distinctly different in design to appeal to each brand's customers.
Production will begin later next year on the Dodge Dakota. Mitsubishi Motors, extending its growing product line in the United States and Canada, will re-enter the competitive pickup segment in the 2005 calendar year.
"This project marks another milestone in DaimlerChrysler's alliance strategy," said Eric Ridenour, Executive Vice President - Product Development of the Chrysler Group. "Ultimately, this will allow us both to reduce development, production times and costs while adding to our respective portfolios with distinctly different, high-quality products."
"We are excited to expand our product offering with this new pickup, and at the same time, leverage our alliance with DaimlerChrysler to provide even greater value for our customers," said Finbarr O'Neill, Co-chairman and CEO of MMNA.
Each truck model will showcase a design signature reflective of the individual brand character. Mitsubishi Motors Design Studio in Cypress, Calif., and the Chrysler Design Studio in Auburn Hills, Mich., are each responsible for their unique models. Additional product, production and sales details will be announced later.
The project is one of many alliance projects between DaimlerChrysler AG and Mitsubishi Motors in the areas of research, development, procurement, production, marketing and sales.
Mitsubishi Motors has a rich heritage in the pickup segment. In 2002, the company sold worldwide more than 90,000 units of its L200 Strada pickup, which finished this year's Dakar Rally in fourth position (behind three other Mitsubishi vehicles).

Ref: http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dccom...-0-0-0,00.html

[DODGE DRAGON]

It's suppose to have the 4.7......what else will it have, ya know?

[hemidakota]

More information today:

08:30 Dec. 26, 2003)
Mitsubishi plays truck card with Detroit show concept
AutoWeek's Fast Five: Mitsubishi's Finbarr O’Neill


By AUTOWEEK



As secrets go, Mitsubishi’s plan to enter the U.S. light-truck market wasn’t one. Shortly after becoming Mitsubishi Motors North America’s new CEO in September, Finbarr O’Neill told dealers to plan showroom space in 2004 for a four-door pickup built on its global partner DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge Dakota.
Now Mitsubishi is officially confirming O’Neill’s promise, and at the upcoming Detroit auto show the company will unveil its pickup in concept form.

AutoWeek's Fast Five: Mitsubishi's Finbarr O’Neill


For 18 years, Finbarr O’Neill worked his magic to make Korean automaker Hyundai a household name in America. Mitsubishi tapped him Sept. 1 to perform the same trick on its U.S. operations. Here’s what Fin has up his sleeve:


AW: What will it take to raise awareness of Mitsubishi products in the U.S.?

O’Neill: We’ve done a good job of raising brand awareness and it’s at an all-time high, but we need to be on more shopping lists. I believe the car is the star. We need to speak not just to the young, but to the young at heart.

AW: Will that alone increase sales, or are there other needs?

O’Neill: We need to focus more on the retail business, selling cars one at a time over the curb. We would love to have a pickup truck in North America and that’s something we’ve been studying very seriously.

AW: Who’s your competition?

O’Neill: With our product line, we can compete with the best from Honda, Toyota and Nissan. The Korean automakers have made a lot of progress and done a lot of good things—they are strong competitors.

AW: What can we expect from Mitsubishi when it comes to hybrids and alt-fuel vehicles?

O’Neill: This is an area where leveraging resources across global partners makes the most sense. The latest Mitsubishi fuel-cell vehicle shown in Tokyo is a Grandis wagon powered by DaimlerChrysler’s fuel-cell system. [Mitsubishi also will debut a high-performance 470-hp hybrid sports coupe called Eclipse Concept-E at the Detroit show.

AW: Any good news on the racing front?

O’Neill: Mitsubishi Motors won both the 2003 Manufacturers’ and Overall SCCA ProRally championships and I’m very proud of the team’s hard work and success. Unfortunately, we recently announced that we’re suspending our program for 2004 to focus our resources on building retail sales and continuing to grow the brand. We do look forward to a time when it can re-enter the motorsports arena.