Mitsubishi Proudia: Mitsubishi’s short-lived luxury sedan

The Mitsubishi Proudia is a luxury sedan positioned below the Dignity limousine in the company’s range. Its name combines the English word proud with diamond, after the Mitsubishi logo. The first generation was built from late 1999 to 2001, and the second, a rebadged Nissan Fuga, from 2012 to 2016.

Mitsubishi Proudia at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Proudia.

History of the Mitsubishi Proudia

A front-wheel-drive flagship

The Proudia and Dignity range was designed by Mitsubishi and co-manufactured with Hyundai of South Korea, which sold its own version as the Hyundai Equus from 1999 to 2009. The Proudia was aimed at the Nissan Cima and Toyota Crown Majesta, but Mitsubishi chose a transversely installed engine with front-wheel drive rather than the rear-wheel drive of its rivals.

Three specifications were offered, labelled A, B and C. The A and B types used Mitsubishi’s 3,497 cc 6G74 GDi V6 with 241 PS at 5,500 rpm and 343 Nm at 2,500 rpm, while the C type had the 4,498 cc 8A80 GDi V8 with 280 PS at 5,000 rpm and 412 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The car was unusually well equipped for its time, with CCD cameras to monitor the adjacent lanes and the area behind the car and a lidar-activated adaptive cruise control. Front suspension used MacPherson struts and the rear a multi-link layout.

Fifteen months

Combined sales of the Dignity and Proudia fell far short of Mitsubishi’s estimate of 300 a month. The cars were on sale for only fifteen months from their introduction on 20 February 2000 before Mitsubishi’s financial difficulties forced the company to discontinue both to streamline its range and cut costs. Production ended after only 1,227 vehicles in three years, while the Hyundai Equus proved far more successful and stayed in production until it was replaced in 2008.

The Nissan years

In early 2012 Mitsubishi agreed with Nissan to sell its own version of the second-generation Nissan Fuga under the Proudia name after an eleven-year gap, and sales began on 26 July 2012. A stretched-wheelbase hybrid version was sold as the Dignity. The new car was slightly taller but shorter and narrower than its predecessor, and therefore lighter, and every model met the 2005 emissions standards with a 75 per cent reduction over the old car.

Proudia trim levels matched their Fuga equivalents: the 250 corresponded to the Fuga 250GT, the 250 VIP to the 250 VIP, the 370 VIP to the 370 VIP and the 370 4WD to the 370 GT Four, the first Proudia with all-wheel drive. The Fuga’s hybrid was not offered on the Proudia and was reserved for the longer Dignity. Visually the Proudia had its own Mitsubishi grille and trim, and it offered Nissan’s Safety Shield packages including intelligent cruise control, an ECO pedal and intelligent brake assist, along with heated and ventilated front seats, power reclining rear seats, a power ottoman and HDD navigation with the CarWings telematics service. The Proudia and Dignity names were discontinued for the second time in November 2016.

Design and features

• Front-wheel drive: unusual for a Japanese luxury sedan of its class.
• V8 option: the 4.5-litre 8A80 GDi engine in the C type.
• Early driver aids: cameras and lidar cruise control in 1999.
• Rare: only 1,227 first-generation cars built.
• Nissan link: the second generation was a rebadged Fuga.

Mitsubishi Proudia versions

• Types A and B: 3.5-litre V6 with 241 PS.
• Type C: 4.5-litre V8 with 280 PS.
• Dignity: the long-wheelbase limousine version.
• Second generation (2012): rebadged Nissan Fuga in four trims.

The Proudia replaced the Debonair as Mitsubishi’s flagship and sat above the Diamante. More cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.

Sources

• Mitsubishi Proudia, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, equipment, production