Mitsubishi 380

The Mitsubishi 380 is a mid-size car that was produced between 2005 and 2008 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia. Available only as a sedan, it marked the end of Australian production by the Japanese manufacturer.

The 380, given the model designation DB, was the successor to the Mitsubishi Magna / Verada line of vehicles first introduced in 1985 (1991 for the Verada). The company spent over A$600 million developing and producing the car, being heavily based upon the ninth generation Mitsubishi Galant designed in the United States.[1] The 380 continued Mitsubishi Australia's established habit of producing front-wheel drive sedans for the Australian market, and along with the Toyota Aurion, competed against traditionally well-established local rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon and GM Holden Commodore vehicles.

Even before the car's launch in October 2005, the 380 was stigmatised as the "make or break" model for Mitsubishi Australia.[2]

Development

The development of the 380 began in 2002, when company executives in Japan gave approval to Mitsubishi Australia to commence work on two closely related vehicles. The first of which was a right-hand drive variant of the ninth generation Mitsubishi Galant, designated the codename PS41. This was to be the replacement for the Magna and Verada. The second, which was planned to be launched in 2007 was a long-wheelbase version known internally as PS41L to be produced in both left- and right-hand drive configurations.[5] However, as Mitsubishi's financial woes worsened, and DaimlerChrysler pulled-out of the DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi alliance, PS41L was abandoned in 2004 and the likelihood of PS41 making it into production looked even more doubtful. Company research conducted in mid-2004 revealed that 84 percent of Australians believed that Mitsubishi would cease production in Australia. To reinstate consumer confidence in the brand, before the launch of the 380, a series of television commercials began airing in December 2004.[6] Centralised around Mitsubishi Australia's then CEO Tom Phillips, the advertisements promoted the introduction of an industry-first five-year/130000 km warranty. Mitsubishi reworked a slogan from former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca, concluding their commercials with the tagline, "if you can find a better-built, better-backed car anywhere, then buy it".

In total, A$600 million was spent on developing the 380, including $250 million on upgrading the Adelaide production facility to manufacture the vehicle.[7] This included the installation of a new body press, casting the body sides from an individual piece of steel. This has the effect of producing a 0.7 mm size differentiation from body-to-body, compared to the industry standard of 1 - 1.5 mm in 2005.[8]

The name 380 was chosen as a fresh start to Mitsubishi's sale of its sole Australian-made vehicle, given that the Magna name was now synonymous of slow-selling vehicle that was long overdue for a replacement. Indeed, among the seven names short-listed from a total of 220, Magna was not one of them. According to then CEO, Tom Phillips, the chosen name polled the best and, at the official launch, he stated "'380' conjured up images of high technology, European standards, sophistication and performance with consumers. All of those attributes correlate directly with the positioning of our new car, and when added to the build quality that we are renowned for and a large 3.8-litre engine, '380' was a natural choice for the name of the car".[9]

Models

Between September 2005 and April 2008, the 380 was produced and marketed in three series, as listed below.[15]

DB (2005–2006)

The 380 went on sale on 13 October 2005. The range consisted of a 380 base model, the LS, LX, VRX and GT models. Standard equipment included: twin front and side airbags, climate control air-conditioning, cruise control, power windows, trip computer, steering wheel audio controls, and Bosch 8.0 anti-lock braking system.[16] There was also a Limited Edition sold from September 2005 and into 2006.

DB Series II (2006–2007)

On 28 April 2006, Mitsubishi announced price reductions with the introduction of the Series II upgrade. The entry model, now called the ES, was reduced from A$34,490 to $27,990. An SX model was introduced, priced at $32,990, while the LS model was dropped. Prices on VRX, LX, and GT models were also reduced by amounts ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Mitsubishi announced that up to 1,500 retail customers who paid the old price would be eligible for a factory rebate of up to $2,000. There were essentially no mechanical or visual changes.[17]

The 380 received the 2005 Australia's Best Cars Large Car award,[18] as well as Insurance Australia Group's rating as the most secure Australian family car, Safest Australian Car Built 2006 for its four-star ANCAP result, Best Fleet Car by Delivery Australia magazine, and Lowest Running Costs in the Australian Motoring Clubs Report. The 3.8-litre engine won an award for engineering excellence from the Society of Automotive Engineers.

DB Series III (2007–2008)

Mid-July 2007 saw the release of the 380 Series III, with range and price alterations designed to attract further sales and increase private buyer interest. The price of the ES model rose by $1000 but was compensated for by the addition of alloy wheels, fog lights and traction control. A total of four models comprised this range: ES, SX, VRX, and GT.

Unlike the Series II, the new series saw all models received subtle visual and trim changes.[19]

Available with either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission, standard features on the ES included traction control, front and side air bags, automatic climate control air conditioning, power mirrors, power windows, power driver's seat, steering wheel-mounted remote audio controls, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). Also featured in the ES were alloy wheels and sports front bumper treatment with front fog lamps. Next in the range, the auto-only SX adds sports seats with a unique grey trim, leather steering wheel, six-disc CD stereo with multifunction colour LCD, sports rear bumper, 17-inch alloy wheels and sports-tuned suspension. The VRX featured a more comprehensive sports styling package, adding charcoal accents on the front and rear bumpers, high-profile rear wing, polished and painted 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside the VRX, blue seat fabric was added, as well as "VRX" embroidery on the front seats. Embroidered, silver-stitched leather was available as an option. The VRX was available with a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. The range-topping and automatic-only GT model featured standard leather trim, painted and polished 17-inch alloy wheels, integrated boot spoiler and chrome boot garnish, and side rubbing strips. Mitsubishi offer a no-cost luxury option for the GT, aptly titled the GTL. The GTL sported a more conservative rear light treatment, silver-painted alloy wheels, sunroof and a beige-on-black interior treatment.

TMR 380

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart (TMR)[20] is an independent motorsport outfit that has also been affiliated with Mitsubishi Motors Australia to market higher performance model variants of the standard Mitsubishi range (in the same mould as FPV, HSV and TRD for Ford, Holden and Toyota Australia, respectively). In 2008, TMR produced the TMR380, a performance-enhanced version of the Series III 380 VRX model on which it was based. It was powered by a supercharged version of the standard 3.8-litre V6 engine, now producing 230 kW and 442 Nm. The car was claimed to take six seconds over the 0 - 100 km/h sprint and was sold exclusively painted in TMR Red with a full body kit, 19-inch chrome alloy wheels and twin chrome exhaust tips. Its retail price was A$56,990, lower than its direct rival, the TRD Aurion. In total, 15 units had already been assembled at TMR's Dandenong facilities with another five on the way from Adelaide for conversion, when Mitsubishi Motors Australia announced the end of local production.[21]

manufacturer	Mitsubishi Motors Australia
model code	DB
production	October 2005 – March 2008
assembly	Australia: Adelaide, South Australia (Clovelly Park)
class	Mid-size car
body style	4-door sedan
platform	Mitsubishi PS platform
layout	Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
related	Mitsubishi Galant
engine	3.8 L 6G75 V6
transmission	5-speed manual 5-speed automatic
wheelbase	2750 mm
length	4837 - 4855 mm
width	1840 mm
height	1480 mm
weight	1625 - 1670 kg
predecessor	Mitsubishi Magna/Verada
designer	Olivier Boulay

Development

Design

Engineering

Models

DB (2005–2006)

DB Series II (2006–2007)

DB Series III (2007–2008)

TMR 380

Safety

Production and sales

References