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Mitsubishi's SSS Concept Vehicle Defines New 'Enhanced Utility Sedan'

12 January 2000

Mitsubishi Motors' SSS Concept Vehicle Defines New 'Enhanced Utility Sedan' Category    

           Third in Concept Car Series with 'Geo-Mechanical' Design
              Launched at North American International Auto Show

    DETROIT, Jan. 11 -- For the third year in a row, Mitsubishi
Motors has unveiled a concept car at the North American International Auto
Show that reflects the "Geo-Mechanical" design philosophy of the company's
Cypress, California design studio.  Mitsubishi Motors' SSS concept sedan was
created to meet the increasingly comprehensive aspirations of today's
automotive consumers.  Combining the driving pleasure and passenger comforts
of a sport sedan with the packaging versatility of an SUV, the SSS defines a
whole new vehicle category -- the "enhanced utility sedan" in a shape like
nothing else on the road.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000111/LATU020 )
    The SSS was joined at the Detroit show by updated versions of the SST and
SSU concept vehicles previously launched in the Motor City by Mitsubishi
Motors to represent the range of new products the company is planning to build
at its Normal, Illinois, manufacturing facility starting in 2003.  Last
summer, the company announced a $1.4 billion investment in new products
designed specifically for the American market and based on a new platform to
accommodate at least three different vehicle segments.
    Sharing many styling cues with the SST and SSU, SSS features a luxurious
yet versatile interior, with fold-down rear seats that allow two full-size
adult mountain bikes to be stowed in a standing configuration.
    Powered by Mitsubishi's 3.5-liter SOHC V6, mounted transversely, the SSS
is built on a front-wheel-drive plticated ride and handling.  In keeping with the "enhanced utility
sedan" theme, though, the design is flexible enough to accommodate a full-time
all-wheel-drive system with viscous coupling.  Functional touches of the SSS
include:

    --  parallelogram-hinged doors that minimize the space needed to open side
        doors and protects against door dings;

    --  a blade manifold front lighting system with high intensity discharge
        (HID) to increase distribution of light on the road;

    --  LED lighting system in the rear for immediate response time;

    --  full-function center-console computer system with mouse and a heads-up
        display (HUD), allowing the driver to focus on the road while still
        seeing instrument panel information;

    --  and a dual front bumper system (one low and a second one higher) that
        decreases the possibility of nosedive under a larger SUV in a rear-end
        collision.

    To create the SSS, 26-year-old lead designer Jon Hull started with
computer images and transformed those images directly into milled forms for
both the interior and exterior.  Skipping the clay model step allowed Hull to
complete the program in a shorter amount of time and control more of the
finished product.
    "I started this project with a question in mind -- 'what can't you do in a
sedan?'" said Hull.  "Our target was to build a sedan that could carry a
couple of bikes, have higher lines of sight to increase visibility, and
provide style and safety at the same time."
    Other features of the SSS include an all-new, 8-step paint process to give
the car a milled-metal look, an interior that feels more like a living room
than a car and a steering wheel covered with a Plasmium(TM) material that
increases grip and holds body temperature.
    Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. was established in 1982 by
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Tokyo, and markets a full line of vehicles,
including coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles.  Their
website address is mitsubishicars.com.