Mitsubishi cars to cost more from April 1

Starting April 1, cars from Mitsubishi Cars India would cost more. The car maker, which has a joint venture deal with Hindustan Motors, is planning to bring in a price hike of around 5 per cent on its models.

The company has said that during the past one and a half years the yen has appreciated 40 per cent against the rupee. This, combined with the appreciation of the US dollar, has come as a double whammy for Mitsubishi. The plan to hike prices comes as a result of this, it is felt.

Mitsubishi cars India has an assembling facility at Chennai with the HM joint venture in Chennai and all models that roll out from the facilty are expected with an additional 5 per cent tag. The car maker is justifying the price rise saying that imported kits are getting more expensive with the rising yen.
The company sels the sports-utility vehicles Mitsubishi Outlander and Mitsubishi Pajero, priced at Rs 21-22 lakh currently.

With the price hike to be effective from April 1, the vehicles will be dearer by around Rs 1 lakh. The Mitsubishi Outlander though will not get a price hike.

Meanwhile, the company might sell the high-end Mitsubishi Montero SUV for a price higher than the current Rs 42 lakh. The car is directly imported and a steeper hike could come about as duty levies are higher. It may be recalled that Hindustan Motors and Mitsubishi Motors launched their premium SUV Montero recently. The launch of Montero 09 had coincided with HM-Mitsubishi’s opening of the second fully-owned showroom Autodrome in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, other models such as Cedia, which come under the midsize sedan catgory, which currently sells at Rs 10.29 lakh would cost Rs 50,000 more. Besdes, Mitsubishi Lancer, which now comes with a price tag of Rs 8.20 lakh, will become costlier by Rs 40,000.

The Mitsubishi Cedia is available in India in both petrol and LPG-petrol dual fuel versions.