L300 Korea path
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• Hyundai, the South Korean manufacturer, is planning to extend its UK range with a forward-control panel van of around 900kg capacity based on the old Mitsubishi L300. The only commercial vehicle currently offered by Hyundai in Britain is the car-derived 545kg-payload Pony II pickup.
Following the pattern set by • Fiat, of licensing overseas manufacturers to produce its obsolescent car models, the Japanese Mitsubishi company is to grant a licence to Hyundai to build and sell the original L300 van, which is now out of production in Japan.
Technical collaboration between the two companies is already established, with Hyundai fitting Mitsubishi engines in its current models.
Mitsubishi's all-new L300 van made its debut at the NEC Motor Show last October (CM October 18); dealers expect the first examples in the next few weeks.
Hyundai's Korean-built version of the old L300 van will compete with its successor, but at a significantly lower price. As well as extending the liyundai product range available in this country, the arrangement more significantly circumvents the Government's agreement on sales volumes of Japanese vehicles in the UK.
Chassis-cab L300 variants are likely to become available later as Hyundais, after existing Mitsubishi dealers' stocks have been cleared.