Mitsubishi launches hot hauler
BY JUSTIN LACY | 19th Dec 2001
First shown at the 2000 Sydney motor show, the hot Magna wagon was due to hit showrooms around the end of October but has only now gone into production.
Priced at $39,990, an additional $1200 over the cost of the equivalent Sports sedan model, the performance wagon will only be produced in limited numbers, even though it is an ongoing model.
And as you would expect, the showcar version has been tamed somewhat in its transition to a production model, with the road-going version missing out on the wild chroma-flair paint job and 17-inch alloy wheels.
In its place there is standard Sports fare 16-inch alloy wheels and the regular colour range, although the Sports wagon does pick up silver highlights (or black when the base colour is Pewter) on the body kit.
Other exterior Sports features include lowered suspension settings, twin lamp headlights, front fog lights, a tailgate-mounted roof spoiler and roof rails.
Inside there is a leather-bound steering wheel and gearshift, white-faced instrument dials with red markings and black seat and door trim.
Under the bonnet is the tuned 3.5-litre V6 engine from the Sports and VR-X models, which was upgraded at the release of the TJ series Magna with a new profile camshaft, free-flow exhaust and unique engine management ECU calibrations to produce 163kW of power and 317Nm of torque.
The engine is matched to Mitsubishi's tiptronic-style five-speed automatic transmission and traction control system but, unlike the sedan, a manual gearbox is not available in the Sports wagon.
The list of standard equipment extends to ABS, dual airbags, climate control air-conditioning, remote central locking, electric windows and mirrors, cruise control, eight-function trip computer and an alarm.