Mitsubishi hints at India bound compact SUV by 2020

In an attempt to make its Indian lineup a bit wider and refreshed, Mitsubishi is likely to launch its upcoming Eclipse Cross and Xpander by 2020. 

With the two new models, Mitsubishi will be entering two segments that the company has not explored before. The Eclipse Cross will mark the Japanese automaker's entry into the hot-market of compact SUV's while the Xpander will add to the MPV segment. 

We might not be able to predict the performance of both the vehicles in the Indian market considering the fact that India's compact SUV segment currently sports a load of vehicles each competing neck to neck with each other. On the other hand, in the MPV category its not news that the segment is currently dominated by Toyota Innova and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. 

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Managing director of Mitsubishi India, Uttam Bose during the launch of Outlander on Monday stated conveyed his plans of refreshing the lineup in the coming years. 

Mitsubishi's current lineup has been dormant since the past few years with only the Pajero Sport and Outlander being on sale. The India bound vehicles will be tuned to Indian driving conditions. 

The Eclipse Cross available in other countries comes with a 1.5-litre MIVEC engine producing 152bhp and 246 Nm of torque. However, complying to the Indian BSIV- standards, the new models are likely to be a 2.2-litre diesel engine. 

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After securing a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test, it could be predicted that the car would sport a plethora of safety features including the seven airbags, a collision mitigation system, a lane departure warning system and rear cross traffic alert. 

Mitsubishi's plans for expansion come amid the raging tariff war between the US and several other countries. Impractical import duties on automobiles by the Trump administration has left the company worried which shut its last manufacturing plant in the US in 2016. 

However, COO Trevor Mann insisted that the company was well placed to weather a trade storm, stating that the tariffs, in the short term is just a 'bump in the road'