Mitsubishi Motors US - staying put?
Evolved Member
Joined: Feb 2012
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From: San Antonio, TX
every year for the last 10 years that I can remember, there have been credible rumors directly from the president or news or dealership or whatever, of the following:
-Mits leaving US
-last year of Eclipse
-new Eclipse will be hybrid
-last year of Evo
-new Evo will be hybrid
-new Evo will be diesel
-new Evo will be half gas half electric
And every year, none of the above ever happens.
-Mits leaving US
-last year of Eclipse
-new Eclipse will be hybrid
-last year of Evo
-new Evo will be hybrid
-new Evo will be diesel
-new Evo will be half gas half electric
And every year, none of the above ever happens.
[QUOTE=ikt;11070327]every year for the last 10 years that I can remember, there have been credible rumors directly from the president or news or dealership or whatever, of the following:
You maybe right-- here is another view....
MITSUBISHI was listed as one of the brands that will disappear in (US)2014. The other 9 listed aint healthy either.
(US). Here is the write up on Mitsu.
While it never had a massive presence in the United States, the niche Japanese automaker has had some success with models like the Lancer and the Eclipse. However, Mitsubishi Motors will soon exit the U.S. market, just as its Japanese rival, American Suzuki Motor Corp., did at the end of last year. Its sales are nose diving. In 2012, Mitsubishi sold fewer than 60,000 units in the United States, down from nearly 80,000 in 2011. That decline was the biggest of any auto brand and has continued this year. In the first four months of the year, sales have fallen by 6.5% to just 20,571 vehicles. The U.S. market share of Mitsubishi was only 0.3% in April. Mitsubishi does not have the advantages of some other companies with low market shares — it is not a luxury car company like Porsche and Land Rover, which sell high-end cars and command high prices. The average price for Mitsubishi’s seven models is under $25,000. One of the company’s weaknesses is this small model lineup. Mitsubishi is further hampered by the public’s perception of its products. In the new J.D. Power vehicle dependability survey, it ranked third from last out of 33 brands.
You maybe right-- here is another view....
MITSUBISHI was listed as one of the brands that will disappear in (US)2014. The other 9 listed aint healthy either.
(US). Here is the write up on Mitsu.
While it never had a massive presence in the United States, the niche Japanese automaker has had some success with models like the Lancer and the Eclipse. However, Mitsubishi Motors will soon exit the U.S. market, just as its Japanese rival, American Suzuki Motor Corp., did at the end of last year. Its sales are nose diving. In 2012, Mitsubishi sold fewer than 60,000 units in the United States, down from nearly 80,000 in 2011. That decline was the biggest of any auto brand and has continued this year. In the first four months of the year, sales have fallen by 6.5% to just 20,571 vehicles. The U.S. market share of Mitsubishi was only 0.3% in April. Mitsubishi does not have the advantages of some other companies with low market shares — it is not a luxury car company like Porsche and Land Rover, which sell high-end cars and command high prices. The average price for Mitsubishi’s seven models is under $25,000. One of the company’s weaknesses is this small model lineup. Mitsubishi is further hampered by the public’s perception of its products. In the new J.D. Power vehicle dependability survey, it ranked third from last out of 33 brands.
Evolved Member
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Southern California
And when was that WRITE up published? Either way, if it's from someone outside of Mitsubishi, then it doesn't mean too much. I've been reading articles about how Mayweather is supposed to fight Pacquiao since 2009, and five years later, it hasn't happened.
Evolved Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,080
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From: Southern California
It's hard to think that, when a lot of STIs had engine issues that required either a serious overhaul or replacement (I know two people personally who had to deal with that). It's not like a clutch going out early or something.
If you are referring to the Mitsubishi keiretsu, then, yes, it's huge. It's one of the largest at something like a quarter trillion US dollars per year. The Mitsu Motors part, however, isn't very large, especially when you ignore the heavy stuff and only look at the cars. And keiretsus aren't as free to move money around as they used to be.
In short, depending on your definition of a Japanese car company, Mitsu is huge or almost small.
In short, depending on your definition of a Japanese car company, Mitsu is huge or almost small.
Motors is in the same ballpark as Toyota, Honda etc. All of them are part of some unimaginably huge parent corporation. Whether or not
Automotive or their parent company decide to spend $$$ to save, revitalize etc. the US market will be decided in some boardroom at some point in time. We can speculate all day but at the end if they see more return on $ invested by upping their India or European involvement they will make the cold and calculated decision all day long.
Mitsubishi Motors is a part of a HUGE holding group MITSUBISHI. Subaru is a part of another HUGE holding group called Fuji. Just throwing it out there as people assume these are "small standalone companies".
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Northern Virginia
Dec 2013 interview with Mitsubishi President
http://www.autonews.com/article/20131216/OEM02/312169989/mitsubishi-chief-automakers-growth-starts-now#axzz2pLcCSBmI
(I added emphasis on that last statement)
I hope Mitsubishi sticks around- I'd like to put an EVO back in my garage
Q. How solid is your recovery at Mitsubishi?
A. We are finally starting to see the fruits of the seeds we have planted. We're delivering a profit. This year, we laid the foundation for paying a dividend next year.
Q. What keeps you up at night when it comes to North America?
A. Right now, we are struggling with our U.S. operations. But as one of the developed economies, the U.S. has very large total demand. And it's one of the few developed economies in which demand is actually increasing. It is very important for us to do business there. We want to rebuild and improve our business.
Q. You won't pull out or close your U.S. plant?
A. No. Last year, we started the reforms. We stopped producing old models and we started producing as well as exporting new models, such as the Outlander Sport. We are making full use of [our plant's] capacity. We have a full turnaround in the United States.
There is no way we are going to withdraw from the U.S. market.
A. We are finally starting to see the fruits of the seeds we have planted. We're delivering a profit. This year, we laid the foundation for paying a dividend next year.
Q. What keeps you up at night when it comes to North America?
A. Right now, we are struggling with our U.S. operations. But as one of the developed economies, the U.S. has very large total demand. And it's one of the few developed economies in which demand is actually increasing. It is very important for us to do business there. We want to rebuild and improve our business.
Q. You won't pull out or close your U.S. plant?
A. No. Last year, we started the reforms. We stopped producing old models and we started producing as well as exporting new models, such as the Outlander Sport. We are making full use of [our plant's] capacity. We have a full turnaround in the United States.
There is no way we are going to withdraw from the U.S. market.
I hope Mitsubishi sticks around- I'd like to put an EVO back in my garage
Evolved Member
Joined: Feb 2012
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From: San Antonio, TX
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: Indiana
Or another type of VR4. That was my first car and it was an absolute monster.
Evolving Member
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Houston, TX
I'm optimistic about Mitsubishi's future in the US.
There has been a lot of talk lately (unless it has happened already and I missed it) of Mitsubishi partnering with Renault (and thus Nissan) for future products. That would bring a revamp of the lineup and a certain degree of stability that the company is very much in need of.
Seeing how Mitsubishi is no stranger to partnerships it could happen and it should help.
For the performance side, rumor has it that the Renault influence would not expand to the Evo lineup, and that the XI would be its own platform built for the ground up. The more pedestrian Lancers on the other hand would be products of platform sharing.
Time will tell.
There has been a lot of talk lately (unless it has happened already and I missed it) of Mitsubishi partnering with Renault (and thus Nissan) for future products. That would bring a revamp of the lineup and a certain degree of stability that the company is very much in need of.
Seeing how Mitsubishi is no stranger to partnerships it could happen and it should help.
For the performance side, rumor has it that the Renault influence would not expand to the Evo lineup, and that the XI would be its own platform built for the ground up. The more pedestrian Lancers on the other hand would be products of platform sharing.
Time will tell.
Evolved Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,080
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From: Southern California
While it's more likely and makes sense (with all of the talk of the next Evo being hybrid and/or chasing the GT-R from the lower end of the price spectrum), we'll just have to see. Remember that Subaru was also saying that the WRX would be its own platform rather than being a derivative of the Impreza from this point forward, when in fact it maintains the same relationship with the Impreza as it's always had, other than it having dropped "Impreza" from its name.
Evolving Member
Joined: Feb 2012
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From: Minnesota
We just got sales figures today. Mitsubishi is up 26% year over year from 2012, and up 37% from November of 2013 to December. I also found out that we made #3 in the country, behind West Loop and Mission. But I don't dare say the name of where I work or I may get banhammered!