The Mitsubishi Zinger is a compact MPV designed by Mitsubishi Motors with China Motor Corporation and produced since December 2005. It has been sold as the Mitsubishi Fuzion in the Philippines, and in Taiwan it has been branded as the CMC Zinger since 2015.
Mitsubishi Zinger at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors and China Motor Corporation |
|---|---|
| Production | since December 2005 |
| Type | compact MPV |
| Name | from a person or thing full of energy |
| Philippine name | Mitsubishi Fuzion, 2007–2016 |
| First-month sales | 2,285 against a target of 1,200 |
| Engines | 4G64 in manual cars, 4G69 MIVEC in automatics from 2008 |
| 2015 change | detuned 4G69 with 136 PS and a five-speed automatic |
| Taiwanese brand | CMC from 2015 |
| Pickup | 2-door CMC Zinger Pickup from September 2020 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Zinger. No free photos of the model were found in the material, so the article keeps the earlier picture.
History of the Mitsubishi Zinger
A Taiwanese MPV
The name comes from a person or thing full of energy and vitality. From 2007 to 2016 the car was also sold in the Philippines as the Mitsubishi Fuzion, where the company claimed it merged the sporty character and ruggedness of an SUV, the space and versatility of a van and the comfort of a passenger car. The first month’s sales were 2,285, well above the initial target of 1,200 a month, and the companies planned to expand into mainland China in the second half of 2007 through a joint venture between China Motor Corporation and South East (Fujian) Motor.
At the end of 2008 the automatic model’s engine was replaced by a 4G69 MIVEC unit to meet new emissions standards, while the five-speed manual car kept the 4G64.
CMC and the Fuzion’s end
In October 2015 the 4G69 was detuned from 159 to 136 PS, with peak torque moved from 4,500 to 2,300 rpm, and a new five-speed automatic replaced both the four-speed automatic and the manual. In Taiwan the Zinger received a mild facelift the same year and became a CMC-branded product, with CMC logos, grille and bumper, after the company repositioned itself as a domestic Taiwanese brand. The Fuzion disappeared from the Mitsubishi Philippines website in 2016, and the Xpander replaced it and the Adventure because the Zinger’s engine did not meet Euro 4 standards and there were safety concerns. The Xpander was never sold in China or Taiwan, where Mitsubishi left the market to China Motor Corporation.
The pickup
From September 2020 a two-door compact pickup version of the CMC Zinger was sold in Taiwan. It had a 1,703 mm bed with a 710 kg payload, shared everything ahead of the B-pillars with the MPV and took its tail lamps from the CMC Veryca A180 van. The 2.4-litre 16-valve 4G69 produced 136 PS at 5,250 rpm and 206 Nm at 2,300 rpm, driving the rear wheels through a Hyundai-sourced five-speed automatic.
Design and features
- Taiwanese design: developed with China Motor Corporation.
- Fuzion: the Philippine name from 2007 to 2016.
- 4G69 MIVEC: the engine from the end of 2008.
- CMC brand: a Taiwanese identity from 2015.
- Pickup version: a two-door CMC Zinger from 2020.
Mitsubishi Zinger versions
- Zinger MPV (2005): the original compact MPV.
- Fuzion (2007–2016): the Philippine version.
- CMC Zinger (2015): facelifted and rebranded.
- Zinger Pickup (2020): a two-door pickup on the same base.
The Zinger belongs with the other Taiwanese models, the Freeca and Veryca, and its Philippine replacement was the Xpander. More cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Zinger, English Wikipedia: design, markets, engines, pickup version
