Mitsubishi eK
Encyclopedia
The Mitsubishi eK is a Japan
ese kei car
from Mitsubishi Motors
, based on the long-running Mitsubishi Minica
, and first introduced on October 11, 2001 at ¥
910,000 to ¥1,108,000. According to the company the name stands for "excellent Keijidōsha", or "excellent minicar".
In its first generation, it was available either as an eK Wagon (introduced on October 11, 2001), eK Sport (introduced on September 2, 2002), eK Classy (introduced on May 26, 2003) or eK Active (introduced on May 25, 2004). A facelifted eK Wagon was introduced on December 20, 2004. On December 20, 2005, the eK Classy was discontinued.
The second generation eK was released on September 13, 2006, priced from ¥913,500 to ¥1,484,700. The eK Active was discontinued at the time of the second generation's launch.
Immediately upon its release it was the recipient of the "Good Design Award" by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2001. While the initial sales target was 10,000 units per month, it sold 13,000 in its first four days, and 20,000 by the end of October 2001. It is Mitsubishi's highest volume model in the Japanese domestic market, and total sales to 2005 are approximately 480,000. Since 2005, Nissan Motors
has received 36,000 eK wagons annually from Mitsubishi, to be sold within the domestic market as the Nissan Otti.
Production figures include OEM
units manufactured on behalf of Nissan, while sales figures only include Mitsubishi-badged models.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese kei car
Kei car
Kei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...
from Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
, based on the long-running Mitsubishi Minica
Mitsubishi Minica
-Minica Sedan:The first Minica was first introduced in October 1962 as a two-door sedan based on the Mitsubishi 360 light truck, sharing its front-mounted ME21 359 cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine driving the rear wheels, transverse leaf springs in front and beam axle/leaf springs at the...
, and first introduced on October 11, 2001 at ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
910,000 to ¥1,108,000. According to the company the name stands for "excellent Keijidōsha", or "excellent minicar".
In its first generation, it was available either as an eK Wagon (introduced on October 11, 2001), eK Sport (introduced on September 2, 2002), eK Classy (introduced on May 26, 2003) or eK Active (introduced on May 25, 2004). A facelifted eK Wagon was introduced on December 20, 2004. On December 20, 2005, the eK Classy was discontinued.
The second generation eK was released on September 13, 2006, priced from ¥913,500 to ¥1,484,700. The eK Active was discontinued at the time of the second generation's launch.
Immediately upon its release it was the recipient of the "Good Design Award" by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2001. While the initial sales target was 10,000 units per month, it sold 13,000 in its first four days, and 20,000 by the end of October 2001. It is Mitsubishi's highest volume model in the Japanese domestic market, and total sales to 2005 are approximately 480,000. Since 2005, Nissan Motors
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
has received 36,000 eK wagons annually from Mitsubishi, to be sold within the domestic market as the Nissan Otti.
Technical details
- Engine
-
- Type: 3G83 SOHC 12v straight-3Straight-3A straight-three engine, also known as inline-three engine, or a triple, is a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with three cylinders arranged in a straight line or plane, side by side....
- Capacity: 657 cc
- Compression ratio:
- 10.2:1 (naturally aspirated)
- 8.5:1 (turbocharged)
- Peak power:
- 37 kW (50 PS) at 6500 rpm (n/a)
- 47 kW (64 PS) at 6000 rpm (turbo)
- Peak torque:
- 62 N·mNewton metreA newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...
(46 ft·lbfFoot-pound forceThe foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy in the Engineering and Gravitational Systems in United States customary and Imperial units of measure. It is the energy transferred on applying a force of 1 pound-force through a displacement of 1 foot...
) at 4000 rpm (n/a) - 93 N·m (69 ft·lbf) at 3500 rpm (turbo)
- Suspension
- 62 N·m
- Front: MacPherson strutMacPherson strutThe MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. MacPherson, who developed the design.-History:...
s - Rear: 3-link torque arm type
- Tyres
- 155/65R13 (Wagon)
- 165/55R14 (Sport)
- Turning circle: 4.4 m
- Seats: 4
- Type: 3G83 SOHC 12v straight-3
Annual production and sales
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
units manufactured on behalf of Nissan, while sales figures only include Mitsubishi-badged models.
| Year | Production | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 97,390 | 86,465 |
| 2002 | 115,918 | 122,857 |
| 2003 | 119,652 | 118,567 |
| 2004 | 70,826 | 71,062 |
| 2005 | 118,480 | 73,277 |
| 2006 | 122,294 | 67,052 |
| 2007 | 77,875 | 56,686 |
| 2008 | 63,943 | 39,972 |
External links
- Mitsubishi eK series, Mitsubishi Motors website