At the halfway point of last year, Mitsubishi was the third-most popular new-car brand in Australia, as it has been for some time post-Holden’s decline, but this year is different.
The brand that normally shares the podium with Toyota at number one and Mazda at two has been overtaken by not only Ford, but also Kia and Hyundai.
The now-sixth-place brand is more than 10,000 sales down for the first half of 2023 compared to 2022, that’s January to June, meaning its share of the new-car market (which is up overall) has dropped from 7.8 per cent of cars sold down to 5.3.
So, what happened?
Aside from the Outlander, which had a new generation launched for the 2022 model year, the Japanese brand has been relying on some pretty long-serving models to keep its sales ticking along.
Last year’s H1 was up on the previous year’s, too, so it’s not a case of consistent decline for the popular brand – but a model cycle and supply issue.
The Outlander’s sales are up 22.7 per cent compared to H1 2022, and the Eclipse Cross – facelifted for 2021 – is 18.2 per cent up, but everything else in its range is significantly short of last year’s H1 figures.
This means the Outlander is now Mitsubishi’s biggest seller, with 11,342 sales so far this year, well ahead of the former top dog, the Triton.
The Triton 4×4 dual-cab’s H1 2023 sales total, 7354 so far, is down 51.1 per cent on last year, while the lower volume 4×2 is down 27.5 per cent to 1371 sales. While Mitsubishi says there’s still relatively stable stock availability for the dual-cab, it’s also acutely aware that buyers are likely holding off until the next generation’s revealed later this month.
There are constraints on the SUV cousin to the Triton, however, with supply being a major reason for the Pajero Sport’s sales dropping 49.3 per cent year on year from 5001 to 2534 sales so far in 2023.
And while the Triton and Pajero Sport have been around for quite some time, age can be less of a factor in determining the popularity of more rugged, or commercial vehicles.
This is why the 13-year-old Mitsubishi ASX’s continued sales success is particularly impressive – most of its small SUV rivals are a few years old at most, but the ASX still managed 4207 sales in the first half of this year.
That’s down 27.9 per cent compared to 2022, but it’s still up to pace with the likes of the relatively new Volkswagen T-Roc or the Hyundai Kona – not to mention outselling its Eclipse Cross stablemate.
The ASX’s sales decline isn’t a matter of changing market tastes, however, with a Mitsubishi Australia spokesperson telling CarsGuide its dealers are selling every ASX they can get their hands on.
On top of that, the ASX’s replacement is on the horizon. Though not as imminent as the next Triton, the small SUV’s successor has already been teased in the form of the XFC Concept, as early as late last year.
So while sales are down for the first half of 2023, could this just be the calm before the storm?
Mitsubishi says despite avoiding import contaminations that plagued ports for some time, its transport has still been affected by congestion and it’s currently working through a backlog.
If it can sort that out, and the new Triton and (eventually) ASX launch go smoothly, there’s scope for the brand to make up some lost ground.
Keyword: Calm before the storm? Mitsubishi Australian sales dip, but new Triton and ASX are set to come to the rescue