Mitsubishi to Add Pajero Sport in Russia

VIENNA – The Pajero Sport SUV will be Mitsubishi’s second model to enter production at the PCMA Rus joint venture plant in Kaluga, Russia, Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko tells Russian media.

PCMA, a factory owned 70% by French auto maker PSA Peugeot Citroen and 30% by Mitsubishi, assembles Peugeot, Citroen and Mitsubishi vehicles.

The previous-generation Outlander was the first Mitsubishi assembled in Russia from semi-knocked-down kits.

For the new Outlander generation, assembly at Kaluga will switch from SKD to complete-knocked-down kits, with volume production scheduled to start in November.

Russian assembly of the Pajero Sport will launch in 2013. Currently, the Pajero Sport is manufactured in Thailand and Brazil and assembled in Vietnam and Bangladesh.

In Europe, the vehicle is sold only in Russia, Ukraine and a few other Commonwealth of Independent States countries.

Masuko says Mitsubishi also is considering development of a car especially for Russia.

Mitsubishi has sold 52,854 vehicles there this year through September, up 2.6 % from like-2011, positioning the brand as No.14 in the country.

Russia remains one of Mitsubishi’s largest markets in the world, though its ranking has slipped in the past few years.

“The model line is somewhat outdated. It is very good that the company presented the new Outlander,” Igor Salita, CEO of the Rolf Group, the country’s third-largest retailer, told WardsAuto earlier. Sister company Rolf Import distributes Mitsubishis in Russia.

According to Salita, Mitsubishi needs an entry-level model for the Russian market.

“Our biggest problem is that we lack a good entry-level model in the B- or C-segment,“ Salita said “At one time, it was the Lancer. The Lancer formerly accounted for up to 65% of all Mitsubishi sales in Russia.”

However, an unfavorable exchange rate and production problems have made the Lancer an expensive car in Russia.