As part of that process, we are collaborating with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop a next generation diesel engine that will be launched in the North American market in 2010.

The project to develop a next generation diesel engine for the North American market will be based on the diesel engine that MMC is developing together with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for European export models. The new engine incorporates a DPF + NOx trap catalyst to ensure compliance with U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions regulations that require NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions to be as low as similar emissions from gasoline engines. It will also be compliant with the Japanese post-new long term emissions regulations. Features of this engine will include a lightweight aluminum block, a common rail system with piezo injectors to provide good responsiveness, and a VG/VD turbocharger with boost pressure controllable over a particularly wide range by combining a variable geometry (VG) that enables turbine flow to be varied, with a variable diffuser (VD) that enables compressor flow to be varied. This combination of features will produce an engine that is both very powerful and efficient.