Mitsubishi to push Ralliart brand

THE recently released Ralliart Magna is the first of a wave of performance models that will come out of a new, in-house special vehicles operation at Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited.

Special versions of the core Mitsubishi models - Magna, Verada, Lancer and Pajero - will roll out of the tuning outfit over the next 12 months, although not all will be modified to the extent of the Ralliart Magna.

The Pajero model is likely to be just equipment and cosmetic enhancements, while the Ralliart name will be reserved for the genuine performance vehicles equipped with engine and suspension upgrades.

Imported models will also be part of the equation, such as the next Lancer Evolution and the US-market Eclipse coupe. The Evo would naturally come under the Ralliart banner while the Eclipse would be more of an image car designed to bring people into the special vehicles showrooms.

"I think in the future there are going to be some options coming out of Japan that we don't currently have but they may be a little way away yet and I'm talking years, I don't know how many, but it's probably medium term," MMAL marketing manager Kevin Taylor said.

"But there might be some other options in the shorter term and some of those may be low volume and some may not be." A meeting this week between Mr Taylor, who will head the special vehicles operation, and MMAL's top brass will decide the name for the skunkworks and the final details surrounding its existence.

Although a couple of combinations are believed to be on the table, the Ralliart name is expected to be a part of the final choice to maintain the performance link both locally and on the international scene.

"DaimlerChrysler has said on a couple of occasions that they see the Ralliart brand as an under-utilised brand and they would like to make it bigger and better," Mr Taylor said.

"And certainly the noises that we're hearing at the moment suggest that DaimlerChrysler, or Mitsubishi Motors Corporation through DaimlerChrysler, are certainly pushing it towards a global brand." An official announcement on the name of the special vehicles operation and its dealer outlets is expected in three to four weeks.

Around 20-25 dealers nationally will sell the Ralliart Magna and future Ralliart products.

To be given the nod by the factory to sell the performance range, each sales operation must be a stand-alone Mitsubishi dealership with a dedicated Ralliart display site, account manager and merchandise display, as well as offer continuous sales training and a willingness to pay the new signage costs.

Final expressions of interest will reach MMAL this week for the selection process to begin.

Meanwhile, the company is looking at ways to ramp up production of the Ralliart Magna, even before it has officially gone on sale.

Initial production capacity has been set at five cars per day but given the high expectations for the new model, there is speculation as to whether that will be enough to satisfy customer demand.

"At the moment we've got a study going on to see how we can lift that five a day and it can be done but its money, that's what it amounts to," Mr Taylor said.

"I think there will be an initial demand and if you're only doing five a day, I'm not sure you're going to be able to satisfy that initial demand.

"There is an acceptable waiting time (for a new car) and I think we could very well go beyond that acceptable waiting time with five a day." Mitsubishi had a budget of $10 million for the Ralliart Magna project, but has already spent closer to $20 million in an effort to get the car right first time without compromises.