The Mitsubishi GDI engine has been awarded the"European Auto Innovation Award 98"as the most innovative automotive technology in 1997. The award is sponsored by the German automotive magazine "Auto Bild", one of the most prominent journals in the field, together with 11 other prestigious European automobile magazines.

According to Mr.Meinard Carper, editor-in-chief of Auto Week magazine and presenter of the award, GDI has been awarded for the reason given below:

The GDI technology can be broadly applicable to a wide range of vehicles without major change to existing production process and additional production cost, which offers outstanding potential as the new standard eco-engine for the mass-produced cars.

The European Auto Innovation Award 98 ceremony was held on March 4, during the Geneva Motor Show. More than 300 journalists and members of the European automotive industry assembled in Geneva, Switzerland, for the event.

Kiyotaka Takizawa, Executive Vice president of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, and several executives from Mitsubishi Motors' affiliated companies in Europe attended the ceremony.

The European Auto Innovation Award 98 was established this year and is sponsored by Auto Bild, the largest-selling automotive magazine, and 11 other prominent European auto-industry journals. The award was given to the organization deemed to have the innovative technology in the automotive industry in 1997. Professors from 11 universities and technical universities in Europe voted to select the recipient.

The GDI engine significantly lowers CO₂, as well as harmful gases such as CO(Carbon Monoxide), HC(Hydro Carbon) and NOx(Nitrogen Oxide) emissions.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has positioned the GDI engine as the "Global Standard Eco-engine". Convinced that the GDI will be the new standard in petrol engines for the 21st century, Mitsubishi Motors will actively promote this technology in markets around the world.

Since GDI engine's debut in GALANT/LEGNUM series in 1996, Mitsubishi Motors has extended its use to other models. At the current time, four GDI engines power nine different passenger models and cumulative production topped 200,000units in early February this year. In Europe after the introduction of GDI powered CARISMA in October 1997, Mitsubishi Motors will launch SPACESTAR powered by GDI engine in the autmn this year. The SPACESTAR is a brand new 5door hatchback model produced by NedCar, joint venture with Volvo Car Corporation and Dutch State in Netherland.