The Mitsubishi Dion is a compact MPV introduced on 25 January 2000, after being shown at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show. It was built on a stretched Lancer and Mirage platform with seven seats in a 2-3-2 layout, and its name comes from Dionysus.
Mitsubishi Dion at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors |
|---|---|
| Shown | Tokyo Motor Show, 1999 |
| On sale | 25 January 2000 |
| Price at launch | 1,598,000 to 1,848,000 yen |
| Platform | stretched Lancer and Mirage |
| Seats | seven, in a 2-3-2 layout |
| Name | from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and joy |
| Facelift | May 2002 |
| First-month target | 4,500 cars, beaten by 1,000 within two weeks |
Based on one source, and a very short one: the English Wikipedia article covers only the launch, price, platform, seating, facelift and first sales figures, so this page is short and does not describe the engines.
History of the Mitsubishi Dion
Seven seats from Lancer parts
The Dion was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999 and went on sale in Japan on 25 January 2000, priced from 1,598,000 to 1,848,000 yen. It used a stretched version of the Lancer and Mirage platform and carried seven people in a 2-3-2 arrangement, which made it a compact alternative to larger Japanese MPVs. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and joy.
Mitsubishi set an initial target of 4,500 sales in the first month, and that figure was exceeded by 1,000 after only two weeks, a sign that the small seven-seat formula suited the market. A facelifted Dion followed in Japan in May 2002.
The official record and what it leaves out
The material available for this page is short: the English Wikipedia article gives the launch date, price, platform, seating and facelift, and adds the sales figures, but it does not describe the engines, the equipment or the end of production. The Dion is also known for sharing much of its exterior and interior design with the Mirage Dingo, a five-seat mini MPV of the same period, though the Dingo is the shorter of the two and seats one row fewer.
Design and features
- Seven seats: a 2-3-2 layout in a compact body.
- Lancer base: a stretched Lancer and Mirage platform.
- Quick start: the first-month target was beaten by 1,000 within two weeks.
- 2002 facelift: an updated Dion went on sale in Japan in May 2002.
Mitsubishi Dion versions
- Dion (2000): the original seven-seat MPV.
- Dion facelift (2002): the updated Japanese model.
The Dion was built on the Lancer and Mirage platform, and its five-seat relative was the Mirage Dingo. More cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Dion, English Wikipedia: launch, price, platform, seating, sales
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