Mitsubishi Australia is keen to capitalise on the exit of Holden from the local market, revealing it is “absolutely” hoping to win over buyers that once flocked to the former leading brand.
Speaking to CarsGuide, Mitsubishi Australia boss Shaun Westcott said the Holden fanbase’s dedication and fervour is what he hopes to emulate with the Japanese brand.
“I came to Australia as an immigrant … and in my first year in Australia I went to Bathurst, and I couldn’t believe the passion,” he said. “I mean I saw people with Holden tattoos on them!
“That is customer loyalty to the extreme, and those are the kinds of people that I would love to see for our brand in our market.
“That resonates, that’s the kind of people that we would like to buy Mitsubishis.”
In 2019, Holden’s last full year of sales in Australia, it finished in 10th place with 43,176 sales, while Mitsubishi was fourth with nearly double the Lion brand’s share on 83,250.
Holden’s most popular model before its demise was the Colorado ute, which Mitsubishi offers a direct rival to in the form of the Triton pick-up, while the Japanese brand also has an answer to the Trax, Equinox and Trailblazer in the form of the ASX, Outlander and Pajero Sport.
However, Mitsubishi Australia will shortly leave the passenger car market with the soon-to-be-discontinued Mirage micro hatch, and does not offer an Astra or Commodore alternative.
And while Mitsubishi does not compete in Supercars like Holden did, he said he believes the Japanese brand can appeal to Australia’s heartland thanks to robust products backed by a 10-year warranty.
“We know our cars last forever; we want people who have that level of passion and engagement and loyalty with their brand,” he said.
“Absolutely, that is our core target market.
“Supply has constrained our ability to target that market, but absolutely that is the kind of people we’d to have driving Mitsubishis.”
Like Holden, Mitsubishi also built cars on Australian soil in the past, including the Sigma, Magna, 380 and Colt.
Keyword: Mitsubishi Australia hoping to capitalise on Holden closure