Mitsubishi’s all-new large 380 sedan is ‘on track’ after its release at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney on 13th October. Although it was only a couple of weeks since the car’s release 2,186 cars have been wholesaled in that time. This volume is in line with company expectations.

The strategic decision to hold back pricing details until mid-October has largely been responsible for only 951 cars being delivered, but dealers are holding a very strong order bank that is continuing to grow daily. Consequently, Mitsubishi is expecting a strong November 380 result as sales flow through.

Mitsubishi dealers have stated that the response to 380 has been “phenomenal” and are reporting unprecedented floor traffic and test drives. They are saying that customers are very happy with the car; they are particularly taken by its looks, and its driving characteristics and handling. Both 380 GT and LX are now in tight supply, and the sporty VRX is also proving popular.

Customers are coming from a wide variety of sources, with trade-ins of Mazda, Honda, Nissan, Ford, Holden, Jeep and a multitude of SUVs being commonplace.

The late release of the pricing information had also caused a delay in fleet managers establishing lease rates etc, but their calculations have now been completed. The pleasing fact is that the residuals that have been set are very competitive against Falcon and Commodore, meaning fleet sales are now just starting to build.

However, it wasn’t only 380’s sales that helped Mitsubishi register a 6% lift in sales month-on-month (it is currently running 12% ahead of YTD sales year-on-year).

Lancer continued to post strong results in the Small Car segment, and its 1,383 sales is 26% up on September 05, and 46% up on October 04. The introduction of the 2.4 MIVEC engine, and general revision to the model line-up are the major reasons for the improvement.

Launched at virtually the same time, Lancer Evolution IX also got off to a good start with 84 sales being recorded in October. This is a great start towards the 500 units the Company expects to sell each year as a fully homologated model.

“It was a much better month for us in October, with our market share increasing to 6.2%, which is against the trend of some of the other major brands,” Director of Sales and Marketing, Tony Breugem, said.

“With only a couple of weeks sales since the release of our new 380 in the middle of the month, we didn’t really have a chance to get the full benefit in October. I am looking forward to the results at the end of November, given the reaction to the car in our dealerships. And, I am sure that the recent release of NRMA Insurance’s 2005 Car Theft Ratings that show the 380 is clearly the most secure locally manufactured car will only add to the car’s appeal,” Mr Breugem said.

2006 Mitsubishi 380

Industry Gears up for End of Year Sales Push
6th November, 2005
Australian motor vehicle sales dropped slightly in October, interrupting a run of record monthly results that have pushed the market to new heights this year ..... more

Mitsubishi 380 Most Secure Local Car
3rd November, 2005
Mitsubishi’s all-new large car, the 380, has been announced as the most secure locally manufactured car by NRMA Insurance in its 2005 Car Theft Ratings just released ..... more

Smart Signs Up For Mitsubishi Engine
30th October, 2005
Mitsubishi and Smart have signed an agreement on engine supply ..... more

Scottish Sports Car Of The Year
24th October, 2005
The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers has voted the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX as Sports Car of the Year 2005 ..... more

Mitsubishi's Completely New Look for Motor Show
14th October, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors’ stand has a completely new look for this year’s 2005 Australian International Motor Show, and it is not only due to the newly released and exciting Mitsubishi 380 ..... more

Mitsubishi Grandis Gets Luxury Treatment
12th October, 2005
Mitsubishi’s Grandis people-mover has had a luxury make-over as part of a model upgrade, and now offers even better value for money in its new guise ..... more

Mitsubishi Announce 380 Pricing
10th October, 2005
MMAL has announced the pricing for its new 380 range, and to compliment the stylish 380’s extensive range of features and industry leading 5/10 warranty, Mitsubishi is adding another industry first to the 380 range – the provision of 5 years' roadside assistance as standard with all 380 models ..... more

Mitsubishi's All-New '380' Sedan Launched
29th September, 2005
Mitsubishi’s sporty and powerful, all-new large sedan – the front-wheel drive Mitsubishi 380 – has been launched ..... more

Mitsubishi Repsol Team Completes Test
22nd September, 2005
The Mitsubishi Motors Repsol Team has returned from a gruelling two-week test and development session in Morocco with new MPR12 versions of the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution ..... more

Mitsubishi Maven For Indonesian
19th September, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has announced that it launched the Maven, a new multi-purpose vehicle, last week in Indonesia ..... more

Sale of Lonsdale
15th September, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited yesterday confirmed that it has reached an agreement for the sale of the land and building of its former Lonsdale engine plant ..... more

Mitsubishi Releases Lancer Evolution Wagon
8th September, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) yesterday announced that the Lancer Evolution Wagon would go on sale at dealerships throughout Japan ..... more

New CEO for Mitsubishi Motors
8th September, 2005
Tom Phillips, President & CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Australia yesterday announced that he would be leaving the company on 31st October 2005 ..... more

Mitsubishi Releases New Triton in Thailand
30th August, 2005
Mitsubishi has announced the release on the Thailand market of the new Triton truck. Replacing the current Strada after a full redesign, the new Triton is assembled at the Mitsubishi facility in Laem Chabang, Thailand ..... more

Mitsubishi Lancer Gets More Power
29th August, 2005
Mitsubishi’s popular Lancer sedan has been riding high in the sales stakes in the fiercely competitive 'Small Car' market segment, and is now set to increase its attractiveness ..... more

Australia's Latest Sports Sedan Launched
24th August, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors has released the latest iteration of its rally-winning weapon – the Lancer Evolution IX – to the Australian market as a fully homologated model ..... more

America's 2006 Mitsubishi Galant
16th August, 2005
America's new Galant is based on an all-new platform and designed by Americans to meet the needs of the North American market, the Galant's mechanical design employs cutting-edge engineering and manufacturing technologies ..... more