Mitsubishi Proudia

Sections of this article are translated from Japanese Wikipedia.

The Mitsubishi Proudia (Japanese: 三菱・プラウディア Mitsubishi Puraudia) is a luxury car manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors, positioned just below the flagship Mitsubishi Dignity limousine in the company's range. Its name is a portmanteau derived from the English word "proud", and "diamond" (referring to the company's logo),^[1] In Japan, it was sold in 2012 as a large luxury sedan exclusive to Japanese buyers, and was reintroduced 2012 to Japan based on the Nissan Fuga. It was sold at a specific retail chain called Galant Shop.

Series S32A (1999-2001)

Series S32A
Overview
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Motors
Production	1999–2001
Assembly	Nagoya Plant, Okazaki, Aichi Japan
Body and chassis
Class	Luxury car
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	FF layout
Related	Mitsubishi Dignity Hyundai Equus
Powertrain
Engine	3.5 L 6G74 V6 4.5 L 8A80 V8
Transmission	INVECS-II 5-speed semi auto
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,830 mm (111.4 in)
Length	5,050 mm (198.8 in)
Width	1,870 mm (73.6 in)
Height	1,475 mm (58.1 in)
Curb weight	1,950–2,265 kg (4,299–4,993 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Mitsubishi Debonair

The entire Proudia/Dignity range was designed by Mitsubishi Motors and co-manufactured with Hyundai of South Korea, who marketed their own version as the Hyundai Centennial/Hyundai Equus.^[2] The Proudia was introduced as a competitor to the Nissan Cima and Toyota Celsior as a full size luxury car, however Mitsubishi chose to use a transverly installed engine with front wheel drive. Production was discontinued after only 1227 vehicles were produced during three years.

The Proudia was priced from ¥4.6 million to ¥6.4 million, and came in three specifications labelled A, B or C. A and B featured a 6G74 3497 cc GDi V6 producing 240 PS (177 kW) at 5500 rpm and 343 N·m (253 lb·ft) of torque at 2500 rpm, while specification C featured the 8A80 4498 cc GDi V8 producing 280 PS (206 kW) at 5000 rpm and 412 N·m (304 lb·ft) at 4000 rpm.^[1] The car was equipped with several advanced features like CCD cameras to monitor adjacent lanes and behind the car, and a laser activated adaptive cruise control.^[2] It used MacPherson struts for the front suspension and a multi-link suspension for the rear wheels.

The Dignity and Proudia's combined volumes fell far shy of Mitsubishi's estimated 300 sales per month,^[1] and they were available for only fifteen months from their introduction on February 20, 2000, before Mitsubishi's financial difficulties forced the company to discontinue both models in an effort to streamline its range and reduce costs.^[3] Sales of the Proudia in Japan were affected by the fact that it didn't comply with Japanese Government dimension and engine displacement regulations for "compact" sized cars and Japanese buyers were liable for additional taxes, and the economic fallout due to the collapse of the "bubble economy". The Proudia's engine displacement also made Japanese buyers liable for higher annual road tax.

The Hyundai Equus proved more commercially successful and would remain in production until replaced in 2008.^[4]

Production and sales

Year	Production	Sales
1999	383	-
2000	759	852
2001	85	97 (+1 export)

(Sources: Fact & Figures 2000, Fact & Figures 2005, Mitsubishi Motors website)

Series BY51 2012-present

Series BY51
Overview
Also called	Nissan Fuga Infiniti M/Q70
Production	2012-present
Assembly	Tochigi, Japan
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	FR layout F4 layout
Platform	Nissan FR-L "enhanced FM" platform
Related	Infiniti M/Q70 Infiniti FX Infiniti G Infiniti EX Nissan 370Z Nissan Skyline Mitsubishi Dignity
Powertrain
Engine	2.5 L Nissan VQ25HR V6 3.7 L Nissan VQ37VHR V6
Transmission	7-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,900 mm (114.2 in)
Length	4,945 mm (194.7 in)
Width	1,845 mm (72.6 in)
Height	1,500 mm (59.1 in)
Curb weight	1,720–1,820 kg (3,790–4,010 lb)

Announced in early 2012, Mitsubishi Motors is cooperating with Nissan to sell their own version of the Nissan Fuga Y51 under the Proudia name after an 11-year hiatus,^[5] and sales of the Nissan Fuga-based Proudia started July 26, 2012, replacing the discontinued Mitsubishi Galant.^[6] A Website that details the new Mitsubishi Proudia, with photos, can be found here. A stretched wheelbase version is also sold as the Dignity

Compared to its predecessor, the height is slightly higher; however the length and width have been reduced, resulting in reduced weight. In addition, all models are now in compliance with Japanese Government 2005 emission standards, resulting in a 75% reduction level over the previous model. The Mitsubishi trim packages are aligned with their Nissan Fuga counterparts. The Proudia “250 A” is the equivalent Fuga “ 250 GT”, the “Proudia 250 VIP” to the "Fuga 250 VIP”, and the “Proudia 370 VIP” to the “Fuga 370 VIP”. The “Proudia 370 4WD” is the equivalent to the “Fuga 370 GT Four”, the first time the Proudia is offered with All-wheel-drive. The hybrid engine option offered on the Fuga is not offered on the Proudia, and is only available on the longer Dignity limousine. The term "VIP" reflects a high status car in Japan.

The Proudia is cosmetically different from the Fuga, using a Mitsubishi specific grille and appearance items. Many of the items in the Fuga are also available in the Proudia, to include the pollen filter, Nissan’s “Safety Shield” packages, such as intelligent cruise control, ECO pedal, intelligent brake assist, with optional items on Nissan-branded products also available on equivalent Proudia trim packages. Nissan’s Garnet Black Pearl paint is not offered on the Proudia, with Mitsubishi offering a different color. Some of the optional interior equipment includes heated and ventilated front seats, power reclining rear seats, power ottoman for the rear passenger opposite the driver, and HDD navigation combined with a telematics subscription service called "CarWings" in Japan.

Footnotes

1. "Luxury sedan and limousine models", Mitsubishi Motors press release, December 20, 1999
2. "Mitsubishi's new flagships", Jack Yamaguchi, Automotive Engineering International Online, March 2000
3. "Streamlining of production capacity and model portfolio", MMC press release, March 28, 2001
4. "Future Vehicles Preview: 2008 Hyundai Equus Large Sedan", Inside Line, edmunds.com
5. "超稀少車だった三菱プラウディアが復活！　けどコレってアレですよね!?". clicccar.com. 2012-02-21.
6. "三菱自、高級セダン『プラウディア』及び最高級セダン『ディグニティ』を新発売". http://autoc-one.jp. 2012-07-04. External link in |work= (help)

External links

• Data on Proudia (Japanese)