Diamante adds sparkle

By ALASTAIR SLOANE Motoring editor

The next-generation Mitsubishi Diamante will hit the New Zealand market in 2005. It will be made in Australia and will use a front-drive layout, like the present model. It will probably use a V6 engine, too. Mitsubishi management in Wellington has admitted as much.

But what it isn't saying is whether there will be a successor to the other Diamante, the all-wheel-drive sedan derivative it made such a fuss of at the launch in Wellington the other day.

"That decision has yet to be made," said marketing executive Ross Cameron. "Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd will be making it and New Zealand will be talking to MMAL about it."

But isn't Mitsubishi taking a risk, launching a four-wheel-drive derivative without confirming it is here to stay in one form or another?

"It's a decision that has yet to be made and MMAL and Mitsubishi New Zealand will be working to finalise that decision," Cameron repeated.

The reason Mitsubishi executives are staying mum about the next-generation Diamante AWD line-up is that it will almost certainly include a wagon.

It wants to announce exclusively the arrival of an all-wheel-drive load-carrier to rival the likes of the segment-leading Subaru Legacy. It doesn't want pesky motoring journos spoiling things.

The strongest sign yet that an AWD station wagon would be in the mix came 48 hours ago, when MMAL chief Tom Philips confirmed that the next Diamante would be built on a longer, more flexible platform.

Read "longer" for wagon and "more flexible" for all-wheel-drive. Read launch in New Zealand in late 2005 or early 2006.

MMAL couldn't build an AWD station wagon on its present Diamante sedan platform. It would have cost a bundle retooling the rear suspension alone.

As it was there was a huge amount of engineering done to combine the all-wheel-drive components of the Japanese domestic AWD Diamante with the Australian sedan platform, engine and suspension.

A V6 wagon is vital to MMAL's long-term assembly plans at its South Australian plant. For starters, an AWD wagon would have a significant price advantage over the rival six-cylinder Legacy. It would also rival home-grown six-cylinder wagons from Holden and Ford.

A year ago, the Adelaide plant faced a bleak future. No new models had been signed off for assembly. Mitsubishi in Japan wanted Adelaide to be part of its global development, but it wanted investment from Australia to ensure the plant's continued operation.

It got exactly that a few months ago. The plant will receive nearly $100 million from the South Australian and Federal governments for development of the 2005 Diamante replacement.

Further investment will be funded in Australia. Under the Federal agreement, MMAL must set up a research and development centre and hire at least 300 automotive engineers and designers by 2005 to qualify for the financial package.

The car-maker is expected to work with Australian universities to encourage the development of automotive specialists.

MMAL is the first of the Australian car-makers to market a big all-wheel-drive sedan. The Diamante AWD is called the Magna across the Tasman and is being billed as "Australia's first all-wheel-drive car".

Mitsubishi here is targeting the same audience as MMAL and pushing the traction advantages of the AWD sedan as a tow vehicle alternative to the rear-drive Commodore and Falcon.

"Towing is a key issue," Mitsubishi New Zealand marketing executive Peter Wilkins said.

"To get a rear-drive owner to consider front-drive to tow has been a major dilemma - a real barrier to get through.

"But all-wheel-drive puts us in the picture. We think there's going to be a real market for the Diamante AWD. The new range buries the arguments about front- or rear-wheel-drive for towing by providing four-wheel traction all the time."

The driveline features a viscous rear limited slip diff, the same as used in the Lancer Evo VI, a transfer assembly comprising a transfer case common with the Evo VI, and front and centre diffs with a VCU to distribute torque between the front and rear wheels, both similar to the Evo VII.

The centre differential gives full-time all-wheel-drive. Its slip (or differential action) is limited by a viscous coupling unit which automatically optimises torque to the front and rear wheels.

Under normal conditions, when there is almost no speed difference between the front and rear wheels, the centre differential provides 50:50 torque distribution between front and rear.

If a speed discrepancy does occur, the VCU limits the differential action of the centre differential so that the front/rear torque distribution is instantly and optimally adjusted.

The viscous rear LSD balances the torque between the rear wheels. When a speed differential exists between the left and right wheels the viscous coupling will distribute torque evenly between the two.

This arrangement enhances drive-away acceleration, straight line stability, and manoeuvrability while also improving performance on poor road surfaces.

The Diamante AWD comes in Si and sport VR spec, the Si using a 154kW/308Nm 3.5-litre V6 and costing $43,990 and the VR powered by a 159Kw/318Nm version of the same engine and costing $47,990.

The AWD car is 130kg heavier than the standard Diamante, has slightly worse economy, but the improved traction and handling are obvious, especially on wet and loose gravel surfaces.

Stiffer suspension with rear anti-roll bar enhances the benefits of the AWD system. The rack and pinion steering is accurate and the ride is firmer than the two-wheel-drive car.

Standard equipment includes power windows and mirrors, remote control central locking, automatic transmission, air-conditioning, and alloy wheels.

Safety technology runs to upgraded four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, and driver and passenger airbags.

The cabin - dreary and dated - is roomy and the front and rear seats are comfortable. The INVECS II automatic transmission with manual override is one of the best in the business, a smooth shifter that seems to work better in the AWD car than the standard model.