A somewhat sad message from Mitsubishi. The manufacturer reports that it will in any case temporarily no longer introduce new models on the European market.
Mitsubishi has put forward a business plan for the next three years, a future plan called “Small but Beautiful”. It states, among other things, that Mitsubishi focuses on limiting costs. Instead of growing in breadth, the brand will focus on specific departments and activities. The message goes hand in hand with a sad message for the European market. Mitsubishi reports that it will halt the introduction of new models for the European market. The sales of the models that Mitsubishi currently supplies in Europe continue as usual,
It is not yet entirely clear what this means for the future of Mitsubishi in Europe. According to the spokesman for Mitsubishi Motors Netherlands, the company is figuring out what the message will mean for Dutch customers and dealers in the long term. In any case, it seems that Mitsubishi will focus on markets other than the European one. “The European market is extremely competitive. Mitsubishi has a market share of around 1 percent in Europe, and the brand must make major investments to meet the strict requirements set in Europe. In any case, Mitsubishi is committed to the coming years markets where it can make more difference. “
Whether the above means that Mitsubishi say permanently withdraws from Europe remains to be seen. In any case, the announcement to ‘freeze’ the introduction of new models in Europe is not a huge surprise. Earlier this year, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance indicated that Mitsubishi will play a major role in Southeast Asia and Oceania. In those markets, the brand should become the leader in new car development within the alliance. Within the partnership, Mitsubishi will also be responsible for the development of plug-in hybrids, a sport where the brand has gained knowledge and experience with the Outlander PHEV.
Anyone who drives or plans to purchase a Mitsubishi can still do so with confidence. Mitsubishi Motors Netherlands emphasizes that at least ten years after the discontinuation of a model, it still offers parts and service related to the model. The future of Mitsubishi in Europe seems to be hanging on a thread. It will become clear how this will take shape in the coming years. In any case, the new generation Outlander seems to be ignoring the European nose.
Mitsubishi in the Netherlands
Mitsubishi sold 6,471 new cars in our country last year, which means that the brand is exactly between Mini (7,099 units) and Fiat (4,157 units) when it comes to sales. The Space Star was the most popular car of the brand with 2,665 units sold in 2019, followed by the Outlander (2,003 units) and the Eclipse Cross (920 units). Old-time ASX accounted for 880 copies sold. If we add the 1983 sales figures, we see that the Colt with 89,500 copies sold has been the absolute blast of the European Mitsubishi party, followed by the Galant (53,920) and the Space Star (50,893). It should be added that before the introduction of the current model, the Space Star was a compact MPV-like, the last MPV incarnation of which was produced in our own Born. The Outlander is, partly driven by the success of the PHEV version, with 46,155 units accounting for fourth place in the Dutch Mitsubishi statistics.