Mitsubishi’s Masuko: We’re building a new manufacturing plant in PH soon

MITSUBISHI Motors Corp. is taking the growing Philippine market seriously and has given the green light for the construction of a bigger manufacturing plant.
In a brief chat with members of the Philippine media before the series of press previews for the Tokyo Motor Show 2013 at the Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan, MMC president Osamu Masuko bared that expansion plans for the Philippine market are to be carried out in big scale and that a new manufacturing plant much bigger than its current facility in Cainta will be built “as soon as possible”.
“We are now looking for a candidate place for another plant,” said Masuko said, taking note of the country’s huge population of about 100 million that can generate sales of no less than 100,000 units a year.
Rumors are rife that Mitsubishi is in negotiations with Ford for the purchase of the 24.1-hectare lot inside the Greenfield Automotive Park in Sta. Rosa it vacated late last year when the American auto giant decided to shut down its local operations. MMC also owns a vast parcel of land in Batangas where it can build a plant even thrice as large as the present Cainta headquarters.
Masuko also took the opportunity to express the Mitsubishi organization’s symphaties to those affected by typhoon Yolanda, vowing to give them  their utmost support.
MMPC had earlier donated P1 million as a donation for the relief efforts to the Philippine Red Cross and is cancelling several marketing activities to generate more.
It was Masuko who presented to the international press the three concept SUVs – the Concept GC-PHEV, Concept XR-PHEV and Concept AR  – debuting at the 2013 Tokyo Auto Show which opens to the public on Saturday, Nov. 23 until Dec. 1.
The Grand Cruiser-PHEV is a full-size 4×4 SUV that features Mitsubishi’s latest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) system with a 3.0-liter V-6 engine, the Concept XR-PHEV is front-wheel-drive compact crossover which features a turbocharged 1.1-liter engine with a high-capacity battery while the Concept AR (Active Runabout) is an MPV with a turbo 1.1-liter 4-cylinder mated to an entry level mild hybrid system.
The new concept SUVs, according to Masuko, are all designed to answer the need of people with great expectations especially on the pleasure of driving.