Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today announced new engine updates for the Japanese domestic market Lancer model series. In Japan, the Lancer is sold as the Galant Fortis and Galant Fortis Sportback. The new 4J10 engine / AS&G (auto stop & go) combination will power not just the Galant Fortis but also the Japanese market ASX (known in Japan as the RVR). The 4J10 powered RVR will go on sale in Japan on Oct-20, and Oct-27 for the Galant Fortis and Galant Fortis Sportback.
Summary :
- New engine name – 4J10 MIVEC (1.8-liter), replacing 4B10.
- Improved MIVEC – now with continuous valve lift and timing.
- Auto Stop & Go (AS&G) – automatic engine start stop for improved fuel economy.
- Japanese market only turbocharged 2.0-liter 4B10 remains.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today announced new engine updates for the Japanese domestic market Lancer model series. In Japan, the Lancer is sold as the Galant Fortis and Galant Fortis Sportback. The new 4J10 engine / AS&G (auto stop & go) combination will power not just the Galant Fortis but also the Japanese market ASX (known in Japan as the RVR). The 4J10 powered RVR will go on sale in Japan on Oct-20, and Oct-27 for the Galant Fortis and Galant Fortis Sportback.
AS&G is not a new feature. The current model ASX in Europe already features AS&G, as part of the ClearTec low-emissions package, available for both diesel and petrol variants. But it is limited only to manual transmission models. The improved AS&G now works with automatic CVT equipped models as well.
Mitsubishi Motors says the new 4J10 1.8-liter 4-cylinder SOHC MIVEC engine feature a new generation MIVEC system that continuously regulates intake valve lift, opening duration and timing. The new MIVEC system offers improved combustion stability and a reduction in piston friction provide an improvement in fuel economy without any loss in engine performance (output and torque) over the 4B10 MIVEC engine (1.8-liter, inline-4, 16-valve DOHC). The combined improvement from the new MIVEC and AS&G delivers 12% improvement in fuel economy (measured by Japanese 10-15 mode).
In Japan, the Lancer (Galant Fortis) is available with two engine options – the 4J10 1.8-liter (replacing the previous 4B10 1.8-liter 4-cylinder DOHC), and a 4B11 turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder DOHC MIVEC. Body type options are a sedan (Galant Fortis) and a hatchback (Galant Fortis Sportback).
Our local Malaysian market Lancer sedan uses 4B11 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve DOHC MIVEC, while the Lancer Sportback is powered by a 4B12 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve MIVEC. The Lancer sedan’s rebadged cousin Proton Inspira uses the now superseded 4B10 MIVEC. Currently our Lancer comes fully imported from Japan. Unless Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia decides to replace their current Lancer with a smaller 1.8-liter engine version, or that Mitsubishi Motors in Japan decides to streamline production, discontinue 4B10 and force all overseas markets distributors to accept the newer (presumably more expensive) engine, don’t expect to see AS&G and the new MIVEC locally in the short term.
Besides, AS&G was introduced in response to an increasingly strict regulatory environment in markets like Europe and Japan, where vehicle taxation is often linked to its environmental attributes. Malaysia has no such regulation, with fuel prices remain subsidized, and environmental concerns far from being a top priority in vehicle purchase, we are not holding our breath for it.
Although in the longer term it maybe a possibility. Mitsubishi Motors has committed itself to reducing CO2 emission globally in all its cars by 50% (against the global weighted average for the 2005 fiscal year) before the year 2020.
The new 4J10 engine now qualifies the Galant Fortis for Japan’s eco-car tax breaks – which offers reduction of between 50% – 75% for both vehicle excise duty and vehicle weight tax, depending on how much the vehicle exceeds its segment specific fuel economy target. For the Galant Fortis, this translates to a discount of between 92,900 Yen – 107,700 Yen.
On a side note, Japan’s eco-car tax breaks have been criticized for its poor focus as there was a lot of tax leakages. Leading Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun gave a very good example by demonstrating a major loophole in the policy, using a Toyota Mark X 2.5 as an example. Mark X has a 2.5-liter engine, weighs 1,510 kg, and has a fuel economy of around 13 km per liter. Under those criteria, it does not qualify for a tax cut, because a car of that weight class must get at least 15 km per liter. However, if an electric seat option is fitted, that pushes the vehicle into the next weight category, the car can qualify for a tax cut because the fuel-efficiency requirement is different. In that heavier weight category a car only needs to get 12.1 km per liter to qualify for a tax cut. With electric seat option, the selling price is bumped up to 52,000 Yen, but the tax cut it qualifies amounts to 100,000 Yen. As a result, the Japanese government is indirectly subsidizing Toyota in selling a more expensive car at a lower price. The eco-car tax break expires in March 2012 (implemented since 2009).