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PRESS RELEASE

Mitsubishi Fuso Launches Medium-Duty Truck “Fighter”
with Redesigned Interior and Exterior

October 5 , 2005

  • Already the Recipient of the Prestigious “2005-2006 Good Design Award”
  • Available in Fuso Domestic Dealership from October 5

Tokyo - Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation today announced an exciting new evolution of its medium-duty truck “Fighter.” With a newly designed cab and interior, the new “Fighter” extends the well-known vehicle’s reputation for reliability, economy and performance. The company will begin selling the newly designed truck at Mitsubishi Fuso’s Japan dealerships nationwide on October 5.

The medium-duty truck “Fighter” made its original debut in 1984, as a completely revised model of the company’s FK series. Since then, the Fighter has become the truck of choice for thousands of commercial vehicle operators. The new Fighter is also the first model produced in cooperation with DaimlerChrysler, of which Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation is a fully integrated business unit.

Built with an optimal level of comfort and performance features, the new Fighter is designed to balance comfort, operational excellence and general economy. It was designed, developed and built to achieve maximum quality and safety.

Key Features and Information:
  • Functional and comfortable interior delivering an optimal workspace for professional drivers.
  • Cab structure incorporating the latest design advances for outstanding safety.
  • Extensive testing for quality and safety.
  • Expanded availability of the INOMAT-II(electronically controlled mechanical automatic transmission).
  • Environmentally-friendly and efficient engine lineup.

2005-2006 Good Design Award

Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter (special specification for shooting)


• About the New Fighter
The New Fighter is intended to deliver outstanding reliability. The product was designed to balance all aspects of commercial truck performance at a high level, and is front-loaded with numerous features sought after by customers. It was developed using a new, holistic system called “FUSO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT,” which is aligned with the international standards of DaimlerChrysler. During the development, Mitsubishi Fuso subjected the product to an extensive testing program which added new test items and featured an extended durability test component.

• Exterior Design
  • With central design theme of “Tough but Refined,” the new Fighter has an exterior design that conveys a sense of power and stability. Its identity incorporates design elements from the Fuso Concept truck shown at the Motor Show in 2004. With its front grill emphasizing the three-diamond symbol and Fuso’s new emblem, the new Fighter aims to establish an up-to-date design identity for Mitsubishi Fuso.

  • The new Fighter offers two cab exteriors with different headlamp positions for lower headlights standard width/wide cab. In addition, front masks are designed to match cab variations while maintaining aesthetic balance.

  • Flash surfacing of parts and air dam skirt single-piece bumper improves aerodynamic performance, contributing to fuel savings.

Lower headlights

Upper headlights

• Interior Design
  • The new Fighter’s interior was designed according to the theme “Comfortable Wave.” It is intended to provide comfort on the highways and utility in the city. The vehicle interior features a newly designed instrument panel with a “driver in focus” concept, paying attention to both operational performance as well as mobility inside the cab. Every aspect of the inside is designed to deliver driver productivity and comfort.


    Interior

  • Three attractive interior variations are available:
    “Business Interior,” with water and dirt-resistance;
    “Basic Interior,” with a relaxing moquette seat;
    “Luxury Interior” with a high-grade moquette seat, wood grain instrument panel, classy atmosphere;

  • For extra flexibility, the new Fighter offers the “Best One System” to meet the needs of customers. Customers can choose the ‘best one’ out of two exterior and three interior styles to meet their requirements, regardless of vehicle grades.

• Recipient of 2005-2006 Good Design Award
  • Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization awarded the new Figther with the “2005-2006 Good Design Award,” which is given for aesthetics, functionality, quality and safety.
2005-2006 Good Design Award

• Functionality and comfort
All Fighters have Ivis as standard equipment. Ivis (Intelligent visual information system) is the improved and expanded version of VOIS (Visual and Oral Information System), FUSO’s proprietary multi-information system, which indicates vehicle/warning information. The speedometer and tachometer have an upscale look thanks to gauge rings with argent silver finish (beige-silver).


New design gauge
  • Frequently used switches and levers are configured to improve visibility and accessibility in a normal driving position. The oft-used center panel is inclined for easy driver access.

  • The new Fighter delivers functional and convenient interior space with expanded headroom, a wider tray on the dashboard, enlarged utility space for audio and electronic equipment in the center panel, and larger capacity boxes.

  • The cab mount is semi-floating, which is highly effective in preventing vibration. This feature – combined with improved cab stiffness -- makes for a very quiet cab. To further enhance interior comfort, the interior offers improved air-conditioner performance and optimized vent positions.

• Cab structure and safety
  • Computer-driven design technology has made possible a cab structure with even greater safety performance.

  • The use of a newly designed four-spoke impact-absorbing steering wheel raises impact energy absorption. In addition, driver’s side SRS air bag system is standard equipment for all Fighters while seatbelt with Energy Absorber and pretensioner help safeguard drivers at the time of impact.

• Expanded availability of INOMAT-II
  • The INOMAT-II, an electronically-controlled mechanical automatic transmission developed by Mitsubishi Fuso, combines the easy drivability of an automatic transmission with fuel efficiency of a manual transmission. With the new Fighter, its availability is extended to the short cab, 154kW (210ps) vehicles, as well as higher tonnage trucks.

  • INOMAT-II allows drivers with automatic-only driver licenses to operate without the clutch pedal. Its new automatic start gear selection alleviates the challenge of a hill-start by automatically selecting a gear according to pitch angle.

INOMAT-II

Two pedals

Automatic start
gear selection

• Environmentally-friendly and efficient engine lineup
  • While complying with the 2003 and 2004 new short-term emissions regulation, the new Fighter has been certified as a category 3 extremely low exhaust diesel vehicle (75% decreased level).

  • All engines are equipped with intercooler turbo, common rail fuel injection system, cooled EGR, and continuously regenerating DPF (diesel particulate filter) to improve environmental friendliness and fuel efficiency.

  • Expanded lineups with short cab of high loading efficiency equipped with inline 6-cylinder intercooler turbo engine.

• Compliance with Regulations
  • 2003 and 2004 new short-term emissions regulation
  • Category 3 extremely low exhaust vehicle
  • Revised lamp regulation
  • Revised rear under-run protector (RUP)
  • 2001 noise regulation

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