Southeast Motor to roll out Lancer EX this month

Shanghai, September 4 (Gasgoo.com) The long-awaited Mitsubishi Lancer EX will roll off the production line in the middle of this month at Fujian-based Southeast Motor, a Chinese partner of Mitsubishi Motors, media reported today.

The Lancer EX, with a Chinese name "Lanse Yishen," will come with a 1.8-liter and a 2.0-liter engine with a six-speed sports gearbox. The engines will be the 4B1 series direct models imported from Japan, rather than locally assembled models, which is likely to the Lancer an extra boost in the market.

Southeast Motor announced its plan in July to make the Lancer EX, a strategic model of Mitsubishi Motors. The sporty sedan Lancer EX made by Southeast Motor will reach the domestic market by the end of this year, priced 180,000 yuan ($26,400) at most, to rival the Civic (by Dongfeng Honda) and Focus (by Changan Ford).

The previous Mitsubishi Lancer has been a flagship sedan model of Southeast Motor and once accounted for 60% of the Chinese carmaker's sedan sales. Mitsubishi Motors aims to introduce the Lancer EX as the first model for its all-new strategy in China, a major market of the Japanese carmaker since 2006.

Southeast Motor, 25% owned by Mitsubishi, has produced the previous Lancer sedan, the Soveran wagon and the Galant sedan under the Mitsubishi brand. Mitsubishi is counting on the new Lancer EX to boost its sales in China.