The next Japanese car maker, after Nissan with the Micra and Honda with the Brio, to build a new factory and make a new model in Thailand is Mitsubishi. The car they have in mind is a “global small” 1.0-1.2L class compact vehicle which as shown in these renderings, is going to be better looking than rivals from Nissan and Honda.

The car, planned to go on sale in 2011, will be produced by Mitsubishi Motors Thailand (MMTh) at the site where the new factory is to be built in at the Laem Chabang Industrial Estate in Chonburi province. Initially, the production capacity of this new factory will be around the 150,000-unit per year level, and in the future it can be boosted to the 200,000-unit per year level. The new factory is planned to hire around 3,000 new staffs.

The basic qualities Mitsu has in mind for the new Global Small car include “compact,” “affordability,” and “fuel efficiency”. will conform to Thailand’s Eco-car Project, implemented by the Thai government with the objective of promoting investment in Thailand’s automobile industry and reduction of dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.

Minister Chaiwut Bannawat expressed his pleasure at the ceremony: “It’s my great pleasure that Mitsubishi Motors Thailand’s factory becomes a part of our Eco-car Project. This Mitsubishi factory will bring to Thailand many technologies for automobile production and lead to improve labor skills for auto industry as well as related industries.”
In addition, MMC President Masuko added “It’s a great honor to have this memorable day for the construction of the third factory. From the beginning, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has strongly believed in Thailand’s potential as the production hub for global markets; now Mitsubishi Motors Thailand became the production base of our 1-ton pickup. We share the Thai government’s environmental concerns and we have made Thailand the global production hub for the “global small.”