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Going Japanese

Mitsubishi is relatively new to car making, and it shows. There has been so far little design direction, a lack of unified language and perhaps an absence of emotion to truly define it even as a brand. Things are about to change, though, as Nargess Shahmanesh-Banks discovers.

Olivier Boulay has had a significant impact on where Mitsubishi is heading in terms of design; and the Se-ro concept car (below right) is a different and innovative interpretation of the Japanese Kai car

Close your eyes and think of a Mitsubishi car and most likely you will picture a big and bulky off-roader that is dominated by a massive grill, a dated look by any standard. But don't be so quick to judge. Mitsubishi is in the midst of its recovery plan, which has seen a whole new life injected into the carmaker leading to a product line up that may even put it in the spotlight.

Much praise needs to be given to progressive design director Olivier Boulay, sent to Japan by DaimlerChrysler in March 2001 to cure the sick brand. Even though DC owns only 37.1 per cent of Mitsubishi, the Japanese arm is an important one for DC, which explains why it has been increasingly investing to help brand image revival.

"We are in a complete transition period," explains the designer. Even he has a sense of humour when Mitsubishi styling is mentioned. "We have to be fare, we had some good stuff and some not so good stuff. Mitsubishi was an engineering oriented company, but when it came to design there really wasn't a clear identity," he admits.

To start with, as part of a new management structure, the car design division came under the direct control of the CEO so as to promote the development of innovative products. Additionally, Boulay's appointment was accompanied by a wide-sweeping review of Mitsubishi's global design organisation, and lead to the development of a new design identity specific to the brand for future models.

New models

Mitsubishi's two new concepts, the Se-ro and 'i' Kai cars are symbols of this newly found confidence and are reflective of the new Mitsubishi design identity. The cars purposely make a play on fantasy in the same way the Nissan Cube had. Incidentally the Cube family has been a great success for Nissan in its home market, which is an inspiration for fellow countryman Mitsubishi.

The two concepts, built on the same floor plan, are two takes on the Kei car. Kei cars are tiny little cars that Boulay explains are mainly found in the rice fields in the countryside in Japan. The tiny cars have a 50 year history, as does Mitsubishi in their making, but so far they have been more about mobility than style. To attract more urban drivers, however, they have to look a little bit more stylish.

With 'i' and Se-ro, Boulay has developed a far more original take on the theme to create cars that are essentially for the design enthusiast, the trend-setter rather than the normal buyer.

The Se-ro, was fist shown first at the Tokyo show last year. The compact MPV is made of aluminium and is shaped rather like an aircraft, especially in the roof area, as a subtle reminder that MMC has a lot to do with aircraft design. The name translates as 'secret room', which Boulay explains has an anagogic to zero, making a subtle reference to Mitsubishi aeroplane Zero. "The young generation are fascinated by the fact that it is something different," he says. "There is off course a touch of nostalgia in it."

"We wanted to make a cool machine for some Japanese who are cool guys," notes Boulay. He refers to this group as trendsetters, rather than followers. One of his main customers is the renowned Japanese designer responsible for the Nissan Figaro, a car that has maintained its iconic status even in Europe. "When he saw the Se-ro he said: 'this is my car'. He is a very trendy and avant guard man and this is very much his kind of car," the designer recalls proudly.

Japan has a customer base for this kind of car, but what about the rest of the world? "I imagine this car in black or grey in Paris," says Boulay confidently. "The Se-ro should be a production car, but off course we would have to fight the conservatives," he adds.

The second Kei car concept is the "i", revealed for the first time at the previous Frankfurt show. Although it shares much technology with Se-ro, this is a very different car to its sibling.
Most importantly the "i" is planned for production next year in Japan. A European version hasn't been confirmed, but the carmaker is looking at a version for this region. It will have be a little wider to secure more stability as people drive a little faster in Europe, mentions Boulay, whereas in Japan there are strict governmental regulations with Kei cars in terms of width and length, which don't exist in Europe.

"The 'i' is a very interesting concept in the sense that it's so different to other Kei cars," says Boulay. Most of them are very basic, functional and not that attractive. The 'i' has taken the Kei car concept, but one that can slide into the city. To achieve this Mitsubishi design had to come up with a shape that was much more fashionable and trendy. "I don't think we have to be like Smart, but we are going in the same direction," he admits, though he adds that this will not cause internal conflict in DC.

Boulay thinks the 'i' will be a real success countries like Italy, where people are very good at picking up fresh ideas, and will therefore see this car as sophisticated and high tech. In Japan though it will be a nice twist in the Kei car story, admits Boulay. "It will be a nice way to integrate the new era of city cars in a trendy manner." He mentions that in Japan people are trend victims, which can make his job very difficult.

Mitsubishi's relative youth can be a positive thing and allow for more freedom. "You can do things that the others cannot," he says. The Se-ro for instance is a car the Mercedes-Benz definitely couldn't do. DC's niche brand Smart can, but not the more established brands with a 100-year history. "The people at Smart are a little worried with the 'i'," Boulay chuckles, but then Mitsubishi is an old hand when it comes to Kei cars, Smart has just started. He believes from a heritage viewpoint then the 'i' and Se-ro are Japanese cars, as well as pure Mitsubishi.

The Colt is a very important car for Mitsubishi and it's Boulay's first production car for Europe for the carmaker. Sharing a platform with the Smart Forfour, the Colt was designed at Mitsubishi's European design studio in Trebur, Germany. The two cars share around 60 per cent components. The main platform architecture has been taken from Mitsubishi, although there are some technological help from both Smart and Chrysler and they are in full production at the MMC NedCar plant in Born in the Netherlands.

Boulay doesn't think sharing architecture with sister company Smart as well as being built at the same facility to be a real issue, "because Smart is Smart and Mitsubishi is Mitsubishi," he says sarcastically. "We are clever enough to understand this and so we have never had any conflict. Who would believe they are sharing the same platform anyway. We will share this with Chrysler and others too, it's good business, that's all," he adds.

The Colt is also Mitsubishi's first genuine B-segment car. Defined by a clean mono-space profile and the new corporate face, the car is very wide for the class at 1.7 metres. But it is the interior that really impresses, with modern materials and colours. The Colt deserves more success than it is likely to get in Europe being from such a small brand; it is a unique and modern design and a very viable alternative to the class leaders from Volkswagen, Ford, Peugeot et al.

Designing cars

Boulay is French, but being an outsider has had its positive and negative aspects. As an outsider you can be much more observant of national traits, but you can also be insensitive to local customs. The designer has been in Japan since 1989, so he has developed sensitivity to local rule, but most crucially living in Japan and being immersed in the environment has affected his own design language. This is Boulay's second venture in Japan and so in a sense he wants to take fuller advantage of the land, its culture, people, and way of living. "I really want to use this Japanese culture," he says.

As an ex-employee of DC in a senior design capacity, Boulay knows a thing or two about the company's working structure and meets on occasions with colleagues from Mercedes-Benz to discuss business. "But you don't come to Japan and expect it to be like Germany," he notes. "It's a whole different story here and you have to be extremely careful." Japan is a country with strict cultural rules and as an outsider you have to behave yourself. "There is a way to talk to the Japanese that has to be diplomatic. Otherwise you will go out of business straight away," he smiles.

Japan has changed a lot. Twenty years ago when you entered a company you stayed there forever. Now the market has become totally international, which means designers have to go outside their own borders, they have to visit the world and they have to recognise different markets. They also have to be alert to all the different trends. He adds: "You need to generate your own philosophy for the company, but you cannot ignore the international market."

Boulay sees a huge revolution in the car industry in Japan. "Some people may say: 'that bloody French guy who comes to Japan is so damn arrogant telling us to be Japanese'. I may not be Japanese but I still have my candid eye on the Japanese world."

The Japanese car industry is very young and in terms of mass production not more than 50 years old. In the early days to learn the ropes, the Japanese copied the Americans who were in their heyday and so Japanese products were micro American cars. Then the question of quality came up and Europe took on the role of the mentor. Then Japanese cars became little European copies.

It's only now that Japanese carmaker's have realised that they are just as capable, if not more, as Toyota has proved, of making cars by themselves and that they don't need to be pseudo American or European or anybody. They realised that a different alternative was to be themselves, notes Boulay.

Boulay is a big fan of designer Shiro Nakamura and follows what he's been doing with Nissan. He says Toyota, Mazda and Honda are noticeably workings on their own unique take on Japanese design and that there seems to be a sense of secret solidarity amongst them all. The Mitsubishi designer is optimistic about the Japanese renaissance. "Now we are in competition with others to do the same. Now there is a third alternative region on the scene and that is Asia starting with Japan. It's the most interesting years," he admits.

Mitsubishi has two design centres in Japan, one in Okazaki and the Tama studio in Tokyo, as well as the European design centre in Germany. The reason for this is for the carmaker to have a more international perspective on design. "Our most international group is based in Germany where we have I think 16 different nationalities in a group of 20," says Boulay. Being international in outlook is crucial to his philosophy. For the Se-ro project, for instance he sent some designers to the Coggiola bodyworks in Turin in Italy to gain a more international perspective.

Boulay is also open to having more women designers on his team. There is a Korean female exterior designer currently at the Japanese studio. He thinks she's an interesting designer who can even draw much better than the boys. "The Japanese are quite funny," he notes, "every time they hire a girl they think she is a colour and trim designer," he laughs. "It's a very macho world and it will take a lot of time to change. The funny thing is that women are more macho than men. They are the first to buy an SUV for instance. They don't like pink, cute cars. They also want something with class, with good quality and for it to also be chic," he says.

Boulay isn't the most modest of men. He proudly claims to be one of the pioneer car designers to move around the world. Sponsored by Renault to complete his post graduate education in vehicle design at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London, he didn't see eye to eye with the French carmaker and following 12 job offers on graduation, turned down his sponsors. "Renault got pissed off and said: 'if you quit Renault you will never come back'," he recalls. This followed a brief encounter with PSA Peugeot Citroën. "When I left PSA they said: 'if you quit PSA you will never come back'," he laughs. He then migrated to Italy followed by work at Porsche, then Mercedes-Benz and finally Mitsubishi. "You still find people at Renault who are still pissed off at me," he says mockingly.

The future

Mitsubishi is going to be more of a trendsetter and be more dynamic in image, promises Boulay. He is aware of the fact that the young carmaker doesn't have the same strength of brand to take as many risks as say BMW. "The risk is that you may alienate your old customers, but you will gain new ones," he adds.

On the other hand the carmaker isn't native and knows that drastic change takes time and that you cannot change overnight. The company has faced a lot of criticisms about the turnaround plan, but as Boulay rightly points out it took Mazda around 12 years to complete its plan and only now has it started to be successful. "And we should be allowed only three years? Give me a break," he smiles.

Boulay says that tremendous work has been carried forward in the last three years. He reminds us that Mitsubishi before the DC take over didn't invest anything in new cars. It had two-thirds reductions in investment, which is basically the equivalent of committing suicide. "When DaimlerChrysler came over it realised that Mitsubishi had no new cars and had to basically start from scratch," he says.

Car design isn't like fashion design where you can make a new collection in six months. It takes three years to make a new car. "All the cars that we started then will be launched from now on," he promises. "They are going to come in a big wave and they will have a whole new face," he reveals.

The transformation will take time, explains Boulay, as the problems are more fundamental than we think. "Take the dealers in Japan for example, 90 per cent are 60 years old. One dealer said to me: 'you know Olivier, we used to sell cars to men, now we are asked to sell them to women, but we don't know how to talk to women'," he says. Mitsubishi has a huge task ahead, it has to re-educate dealerships in Japan, even clean up the bathrooms so that women can feel comfortable entering the showrooms.

"The Japanese have tremendous problems with breaking from the past, they hang onto it as much as they can. Therefore to make this big jump will be tough," he admits. "But can you imagine what we are doing. It will be in the history book: a French guy doing all this."