Mitsubishi Freeca

Mitsubishi Freeca
Mitsubishi Freeca
	Mitsubishi Freeca (pre-facelift, Taiwan)
Overview
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Motors; China Motor Corporation;
Model code	VA; VB;
Also called	Mitsubishi Adventure (Philippines); Mitsubishi Kuda (Indonesia); Mitsubishi Jolie (Vietnam); Soueast Freeca (China); Africar Landio/Jockey (South Africa);
Production	1997–2017 (Taiwan); 1998–2017 (Philippines); 1999–2005 (Indonesia);
Assembly	Taiwan: Yangmei, Taoyuan County (now Taoyuan City) (China Motor); Philippines: Cainta (until 2015); Santa Rosa (2015–2017) (MMPC); Indonesia: Jakarta (KKM); China: Qing Kou, Min Hou, Fuzhou; South Africa: Cape Town;
Body and chassis
Class	Compact station wagon; Compact pickup truck (Taiwan only);
Body style	5-door wagon; 2-door pickup (Taiwan only);
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Chassis	Body-on-frame
Powertrain
Engine	Petrol:; 1.6 L 4G18 SOHC I4 (Indonesia); 2.0 L 4G63A SOHC I4; 2.0 L 4G94 16-valve I4 (China); Diesel:; 2.5 L 4D56 SOHC I4;
Transmission	5-speed manual; 4-speed automatic;
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,620 mm (103.1 in)
Length	4,320–4,375 mm (170.1–172.2 in)
Width	1,650–1,690 mm (65.0–66.5 in)
Height	1,800–1,830 mm (70.9–72.0 in)
Curb weight	1,445–1,500 kg (3,186–3,307 lb)
Chronology
Successor	Mitsubishi Zinger/Fuzion (Freeca/Adventure); Mitsubishi Maven (Kuda); Mitsubishi Xpander (Adventure/Kuda);

The Mitsubishi Freeca is a station wagon and pickup truck produced by Mitsubishi Motors between 1997 and 2017. The model was designed for the Asian market, and built in Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The model name "Freeca" is coined from "free" and "ca", the Taiwanese for vehicle.^[2] It was marketed as the Mitsubishi Adventure in the Philippines, Mitsubishi Kuda in Indonesia and Mitsubishi Jolie in Vietnam.

Overview

The Mitsubishi Freeca was first released on 11 September 1997, while the Adventure and Kuda was released in January 1998 and March 1999 respectively.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The vehicle was internally referred to as the Dynamic Family Wagon (DFW). It has a "semi-bonnet" design with a rear-wheel drive layout and body-on-frame chassis. Product development and parts production were shared between Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia.^[2]^[4]

Markets

China

From 2001 to 2017, the Freeca was rebadged by the Soueast brand for China.

Indonesia

The vehicle is also known as the Mitsubishi Kuda in Indonesia where it was locally manufactured by PT Krama Yudha Kesuma Motor and marketed by Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian until 2005 when its manufacturing plant was closed.^[5] "Kuda" means horse in Indonesian.

Philippines

In the Philippines, the Adventure was given major redesigns in 2001 and then 2004, then a minor facelift in late 2009. Trims include the GLX, GLX SE, GLS Sport, Super Sport and Grand Sport. The 50,000th Adventure was manufactured in the Philippines plant in March 2005.^[6]

The original pre-facelift model continued to be sold in 2006 as the Adventure GX. They were both sold alongside the facelifted model. It was essentially a stripped down Adventure meant for commercial or fleet use. the "GX" serves as the most basic base-model of the Adventure lineup. Another version of the Adventure GX, called the Adventure TX, was made specifically to be used for taxicabs/UV Express use. Although the TX is seen more of a trim on the Adventure GX rather than another version of the car. Sales of the GX ended in 2017, but few remaining units were sold until 2018 in some dealerships.

South Africa

Badge engineered Taiwanese-made Freecas were also briefly available in the South African market, locally assembled in Cape Town and sold as the Africar Landio and Africar Jockey.^[7]

Taiwan

The vehicle was marketed as the Mitsubishi Freeca in Taiwan in either pickup or station wagon body styles. The station wagon was primarily marketed as a recreational vehicle with notable features such as anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and VHS or 5.1 surround DVD infotainment systems being unavailable in the facelifted 8-seater Exceed trim (replacing the Top spec 7 Seater Super Exceed).^[2]^[8] The sole engine choice was the 2.0-litre 4G63 with either a carburetor or multi-point fuel injection. Fuel injection was later made standard across all vehicles.^[8]

Vietnam

The vehicle was marketed as the Mitsubishi Jolie in Vietnam.

Gallery

Mitsubishi Freeca

Mitsubishi Freeca Royal Exceed (pre-facelift, Taiwan)
Mitsubishi Freeca Royal Exceed (first facelift, Taiwan)
Mitsubishi Freeca pickup (first facelift, Taiwan)
Mitsubishi Freeca GLS (second facelift, Taiwan)
Mitsubishi Freeca GLS (second facelift, Taiwan)

Mitsubishi Adventure

Mitsubishi Adventure GLX (third facelift, Philippines)
Mitsubishi Adventure GLX (third facelift, Philippines)

Mitsubishi Kuda

Mitsubishi Kuda Super Exceed 1.6 (VA1W; pre-facelift, Indonesia)
Mitsubishi Kuda Super Exceed 1.6 (VA1W; pre-facelift, Indonesia)
Mitsubishi Kuda Super Exceed 2.5 Diesel (VB5W; pre-facelift, Indonesia)
Mitsubishi Kuda Super Exceed 2.5 Diesel (VB5W; pre-facelift, Indonesia)
Mitsubishi Kuda Grandia 2.0 MPi (VB2W; first facelift, Indonesia)
Mitsubishi Kuda Grandia 2.0 MPi (VB2W; first facelift, Indonesia)

Soueast Freeca

Soueast Freeca DN6440-IM (pre-facelift, China)
Soueast Freeca DN6440-IM (pre-facelift, China)
Soueast Freeca (first facelift, China)
Soueast Freeca (first facelift, China)
Soueast Freeca (second facelift, China)
Soueast Freeca (second facelift, China)

Production

Year	Taiwan (Freeca)	Philippines (Adventure)	Indonesia (Kuda)	China (Freeca)
1997–99	Figures unavailable
2000	17,044	6,729	20,916	1,050
2001	13,531	7,714	4,776	7,350
2002	12,537	7,742	9,669	8,970
2003	11,800	3,921	7,350	12,630
2004	11,359	5,868	5,670	7,458
2005	12,479*	5,876	825	4,163
2006	4,791*	4,560	-	1,911
2007	6,682*	6,033	-	1,650
2008	2,133*	4,570	-	721

* Freeca and Zinger combined production figures

(Sources: Facts & Figures 2000, Facts & Figures 2005, Facts & Figures 2009, Mitsubishi Motors website)

References

^ Sarne, Vernon (30 May 2013). "Mitsubishi PH president wants new model, more units made in Cainta". Top Gear Philippines. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "China Motor Corporation of Taiwan Launches FREECA". Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. 11 September 1997. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
^ "MMPC of the Philippines Launches ADVENTURE New Concept Multi-purpose Vehicle". Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. 28 January 1998. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
^ ^a ^b "KTB Launches KUDA New-concept Vehicle In Indonesia". Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. 23 March 1999. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
^ GridOto.com. "All About Mitsubishi Kuda, 7 Tahun, 3 Generasi, 3 Mesin - GridOto.com". otomotifnet.gridoto.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
^ "Mitsubishi celebrates 50,000th Adventure Milestone", Autoindustriya.com, 4 April 2006
^ "Africar Products". Africar Automobiles. Archived from the original on 31 July 2009.
^ ^a ^b "Freeca II 規格配備表". 21 November 2002. Archived from the original on 21 November 2002. Retrieved 9 March 2024.

[1] Sarne, Vernon (30 May 2013). "Mitsubishi PH president wants new model, more units made in Cainta". Top Gear Philippines. Retrieved 30 May 2013.

[:0-2] "China Motor Corporation of Taiwan Launches FREECA". Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. 11 September 1997. Retrieved 27 December 2023.

[3] "MMPC of the Philippines Launches ADVENTURE New Concept Multi-purpose Vehicle". Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. 28 January 1998. Retrieved 27 December 2023.

[:1-4] "KTB Launches KUDA New-concept Vehicle In Indonesia". Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. 23 March 1999. Retrieved 27 December 2023.

[5] GridOto.com. "All About Mitsubishi Kuda, 7 Tahun, 3 Generasi, 3 Mesin - GridOto.com". otomotifnet.gridoto.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 9 July 2019.

[50k-6] "Mitsubishi celebrates 50,000th Adventure Milestone", Autoindustriya.com, 4 April 2006

[7] "Africar Products". Africar Automobiles. Archived from the original on 31 July 2009.

[:2-8] "Freeca II 規格配備表". 21 November 2002. Archived from the original on 21 November 2002. Retrieved 9 March 2024.

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