Having been one of the manufacturers hit hardest by a crashing UK economy and a soaring yen, Mitsubishi has more recently been soaring up the sales charts. A revised ASX has just been announced to build on that momentum. Glenn Brooks tries it.
According to Mitsubishi Motors’ UK managing director Lance Bradley, the company had hoped for a 35 percent sales rise over 2012 but after the first eleven months, he’s thrilled to have seen numbers up by 42 percent, while the market itself has risen by 10 percent.
Go deeper with GlobalData
To lend some perspective to the percentage rise, the brand’s sales total is just 8,281 units for the year to the end of November. Still, it’s quite a leap from the 5,814 vehicles sold this time last year. When I checked the SMMT’s registrations totals, I saw that Mitsubishi is almost guaranteed to be ahead of the brand closest to its total by year end. Give up guessing? It’s Lexus, which had registered 8,385 cars and SUVs by the end of November.
How has MMC’s UK distributor turned things around? According to Bradley, it’s a combination of new products, a more favourable Sterling/Yen rate and extra marketing spending. The last of these three has been possible thanks to the more favourable forex situation (our cars are sourced from the Okazaki plant in Japan), and it’s the same reason why there have been some big price cuts for the revised ASX range.
Won’t the new Nissan Qashqai kill any plans Mitsubishi has to effectively relaunch the three year old ASX? Not at all, insists Bradley. “That’s an opportunity; not everyone is going to want a car that big [Qashqai 2 is now large for a C-SUV in this segment”.
Then there is the issue of pricing. Mitsubishi is taking on its Korean rivals by cutting the price of the base ASX 2 by GBP1,500, to GBP14,999, and thus undercutting both the Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage. That also means a GBP2,500 saving compared to the cheapest version of the new Qashqai.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataOne of the interesting things about the ASX compared to others in the C-SUV class is the model mix. The segment is almost entirely 4×2, but, as Bradley reminded journalists attending the vehicle launch, “We’re famous for four-wheel drive so our mix has always been about 50:50”.
So what are the main changes for Mitsubishi UK’s best seller? The interior has come in for the most attention with lots more soft plastic on the dashboard. Lance Bradley again: “In the distant past, our interiors haven’t been to European tastes. The Japanese consider a [high] quality interior one that’s made of hard plastics. The new ASX has a hard wearing but soft-touch interior”.
Other things have been revised or added include Hill Start Assist, keyless entry, a new steering wheel, updated audio systems, a six-speed automatic gearbox, better sound deadening, revised rear suspension, and a 148bhp version of the Outlander’s 2,268cc diesel, which the company calls a 2.2. Until now, the only diesel was a 114bhp 1.8, which remains in the range. There is also one petrol engine, a 115bhp 1.6, which is carried over.
The 1.8- and 2.3-litre diesels in top-spec ASX 4 form are expected to be the best sellers. This model grade brings with it a panoramic glass roof which is something else that’s new for the upgrated range. The roof comes with LEDs which run the length of the glass at its edges.
The ASX, also known as the RVR or Outlander Sport, went on sale in Japan, its first market, in February 2010. Over 340,000 units have now been manufactured at plants in Japan, the US, China and Brazil, and CKD assembly by Tan Chong Motor is due to commence at a facility in Kuala Lumpur from January. A mid-life restyle is likely later in 2014, with the replacement to follow in 2016. This was previewed by the XR-PHEV, a plug-in hybrid concept revealed at the recent Tokyo motor show.
Aa for some of Mitsubishi’s other future model plans, Lance Bradley told just-auto that a Renault Samsung-based D segment sedan announced last month would definitely not be coming to Britain. As for the details of the brand’s next C segment sedan and hatchback range, “Discussions on the Lancer replacement won’t start until January. Will it be on the same platform as the next Megane? We don’t know.”
The Lancer replacement model will be a collaboration with Nissan Motor and Renault Samsung Motors. According to the November statement issued by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the manufacturing location for this model is yet to be decided.
You get the feeling, talking to Lance Bradley, that Mitsubishi Motors has found itself a sweetspot from which it hopes to grow further througout 2014 and beyond. “Our aim in the UK is to be a niche player; mainly an SUV and crossover brand”, Bradley notes. “We want to reach 30,000 sales a year within four years”.
