MITSUBISHI will strengthen its fleet range in the autumn with the launch of the Renault Scenic competitor, the Spacestar. Built in the Netherlands plant shared with Volvo, the Spacestar will fill a significant gap in Mitsubishi's line-up by offering a five-door hatch alongside the three- door Colt and the Carisma. Satellite navigation will be included as standard.

It's the second Mitsubishi to use the GDI engine, which the company claims offers class-leading efficiency without any fall-off in performance. Prices will probably start at around £12,500. The launch coincides with a major increase in Mitsubishi's fleet activity - especially in the UK. Mitsubishi Motors plans to sell 330,000 vehicles in Europe by the year 2000. Up to 6,000 Spacestars will be sold to UK customers in the first year.