Mitsubishi to Supply Mini Vehicles to Nissan

Additional Order of Microcars a Boost to Mitsubishi

What do Nissan and Mitsubishi have in common? Other than their Japanese heritage and penchant for building performance-oriented

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. will purchase 36,000 Japanese-market eK Wagon and eK Sport minicars per year from Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

vehicles, the two automakers are rivals on their home turf and in world markets.

Nevertheless, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. will purchase 36,000 Japanese-market eK Wagon and eK Sport minicars per year from Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in order to bolster its entry-level presence, beginning April 1st.

With Mitsubishi's mini-vehicle sales having fallen off by 24.2 percent in its home market, down by 55,117 units to 172,891, the sale to Nissan will be a positive shot in the arm.

The sale to Nissan isn't unprecedented, however, with Mitsubishi already supplying 20,000 Minicab mini trucks per year to Japan's second largest automaker. These are rebadged and sold as the Nissan Clipper, similarly to how the Nissan Moco is derived from a 45,000 unit per year cooperative arrangement with Suzuki Motor Corp.

While minicars are for the most part nonexistent in North America, in Japan they make up approximately 30 percent of the market.

While basically nonexistent in North America, minicars make up approximately 30 percent of the market in Japan. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

Their engines are limited to a total displacement of 660 cubic centimeters, and because of reduced fuel consumption and the resultant lower emissions are less expensive to own and operate than the cars Nissan produces.

Nissan has chosen not to enter into the manufacture of minicars, but rather prefers to forge close relationships with brands it would otherwise compete with if it chose to do so. While sales of the tiny automobiles are plentiful, profits are not as attractive as the larger vehicles Nissan builds.