Mitsubishi Motors Thailand (MMTh) recently launched the 8th generation Mitsubishi Lancer, called the Lancer EX in Thailand, with the tagline "Sensational Intelligence". The 8th generation Lancer has already been on sale in Malaysia and Singapore since 2007. But there are 2 major differences between the Thai made Lancer EX against the Lancer models sold around ASEAN. Firstly the Thai domestic market Lancer is locally assembled, at Mitsubishi's plant Laem Chabang, Chon Buri. If I am not wrong, this is the only other production site for the Lancer in Asia outside Japan and China. Secondly, the Thai market Lancer is the first FFV (flex-fuel vehicle) car produced in Thailand.
Flex fuel vehicles are cars that can run on a wide range of fuel, ranging from regular gasoline to "mild" biofuel mix like E10 or E20 gasohol and all the way to E85 gasohol. FFV are most popular in Brazil as the government imposes a regulation that all cars must be able to run on a blend of ethanol fuel. More than 80% of vehicles in Brazil are FFVs. Though MMTh press release does not mention this, I believe the Lancer EX is also the first FFV car to be made as well as sold in the ASEAN region. The Lancer EX will come in two main variants - the 1.8GL gasoline model which is E20 and E85 gasohol compatible and the 2.0GT gasoline model (only E20 gasohol compatible). Being a FFV, the Lancer EX qualifies for a lower tariff from the Thai government, at 22% versus 25% for a regular E20 gasohol compatible car.
Nobuyuki Murahashi, the President of MMTh also confirmed that the company plans to export the Lancer from Thailand sometime next year. Though production in Thailand started since September, the company is still unable to export the Thai made Lancer to other markets in ASEAN as it has yet to achieve sufficient local content to qualify for lower tariff. MMTh targets to reduce the proportion of imported components from the current 60% to 40% by 2010.
In other words, the Lancer GT that is currently sold in Malaysia and Singapore in CBU form from Japan could see its sourcing being switched from Japan to Thailand to take advantage of the lower tariff. I am bit doubtful if the price in Malaysia is going to drop any further though. At its current price, the Lancer 2.0GT is an amazing value proposition, and I have always doubted if the local distributor Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia made sufficient margin out of it. I am more inclined to believe that the low price is the result of an "introductory price" agreement with the principal in Japan, as Mitsubishi needed to reestablish its brand here after so many years of absence. Any further reduction in pricing will hurt residual values of the current Lancer, and being a Mitsubishi, it already doesn't hang on to its value very well by default. Maybe MMM will decide to either throw in higher specifications or free servicing packages instead.
Like in Singapore and Philippines, the previous generation Lancer, will continue to be sold alongside the new 8th generation Lancer in Thailand. The 7th generation Lancer continues to be made and is now being repositioned as a "value" buy to attract value conscious buyers from both the B (Vios-City) and C (Corolla Altis-Civic) segment. Called the Lancer GLX, it comes with a 1.6-litre gasoline engine (E20 compatible) with a CNG option as well.
The Lancer GLX starts at 592,000 THB while the Lancer EX 1.8 starts at 831,000 THB. MMTh targets to sell 4,000 units of the Lancer EX for the rest of the year and 150 units a month of the Lancer GLX. Apparently, EX is short for "exceeding."
Media preview of the Lancer EX in was held on 16-September in Plaza Atheenee Hotel, Bangkok while the public launch was held recently on 16-October, in Bangkok's upscale CentralWorld mall. Below are some random shots from the roadshow cum public launch of the Lancer EX in Bangkok's CentralWorld.
The Lancer will also form the basis for Proton's next generation Waja / Impian model, under a one-off model-model collaboration. In exchange for granting Proton with the rights to reengineer the Lancer, Mitsubishi will be given the rights to rebadge the Proton's Exora MPV as Mitsubishi currently lacks a competitive model in the developing market MPV segment. Mitsubishi's own Grandis is designed on a cost structure whose baseline is far too high for it to be competitive in rapidly growing developing markets. The Delica D-5 is also on sale in Singapore but was only received with a lukewarm response and is drowned in the sea of cheaper grey imported and reconditioned Toyota Alphards and Estimas. Mitsubishi currently also sells a more conservatively styled version of the Lancer in Taiwan, called the Lancer Fortis. Either one of these Lancer variants could form the basis of the next Waja.
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