Mitsubishi aims to become ‘household name’ again in Mzansi

Mitsubishi did not knock any of the usual suspects off its perch in South Africa’s new vehicles sales charts, but the Japanese carmaker has enjoyed a prosperous few years judging by its own standards.

Mitsubishi Motors South Africa (MMSA) enjoyed its best year in nine years in 2022 with sales of 4 315. The ASX and Xpander were updated during the year, new derivates in the Pajero Sport Aspire and Triton Heritage Edition were introduced while the Triton single cab also made a return to the local market.

The carmaker looks to build even further on its newfound success by announcing an aggressive approach to 2023. This year will see the arrival of the all-new Outlander, the introduction of the Xpander Cross, a limited-edition Triton plus a few more SUVs set be unveiled at a later stage.

Big plans

“We must make sure we become a household name again in South Africa again,” says Jeffrey Allison, general manager: marketing MMSA.

“Mitsubishi Motors South Africa believes that there is still room for growth in the segments that we compete in and will continue to offer our customers the latest in terms of product, while sticking to the values that make Mitsubishi products what they are.

“We know that the bakkie market in South Africa is huge and there is a big opportunity for us there. We can’t wait to later in the year unveil the new limited-edition Triton will be the top of the range derivative.”

The limited-edition Triton, that will keep the familiar 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine, will feature distinctive exterior styling in the form of decals on the bonnet and side doors, head lamp extensions, bumper and side step accents and flashy wheels.

Mitsubishi can weather storm

According to Thato Magasa, managing director of MMSA, the brand is very much aware of the local influx of cars from Chinese manufacturers Haval, Chery and BAIC.

“We have brands from the Far East now offering value-orientated products which is exactly the role we used to play,” says Magasa.

But he believes Mitsubishi can weather the storm through keeping their established customers while appealing to new ones at the same time.

“Mitsubishi is still primarily seen as a 4×4 brand in South Africa, an image which was build around the Pajero and the Triton,” adds Magasa.

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Single cab boost

“With out compact SUVs, the brand has a base for a wider appeal. At the same time, the return of the single cab workhorse Triton is helping us grow our footprint.

“Two-thirds of our workshop costumers are out of service plan or warranty, yet they still come back to us. This is why our workshops have a 96% customer satisfaction rating.

“A lot of our customers that bought into our brand when Mitsubishi was still located next to Mercedes-Benz dealerships still want that experience that they were used to from the start.”

Mitsubishi already introduced its first new product for 2023 in the form of the Eclipse Cross GLS Exceed. This derivative is the range’s new flagship and offers model year updates and cosmetic refinements.

“We strive to always offer our customers products that are modern and speak to their needs and the refinements to the Eclipse Cross GLS Exceed aim to do exactly that,” says Allison.

“We believe that the Eclipse Cross continues to offer a great combination of a sleek, sporty design combined with SUV capabilities and the latest round of refinements go a long way in cementing its position as a vehicle that perfectly embodies what the Mitsubishi brand represents.”

Mitsubishi Exceeds itself

In addition to an already comprehensive list of safety specifications, the Eclipse Cross GLS Exceed features blind spot warning and ultrasonic misacceleration mitigation system. The latter feature reduces the chance and severity of hitting obstacles four metres in front or behind if the driver mistakenly presses the accelerator when stationary or when travelling at speeds below 10km/h.

A panoramic tilt and slide sunroof with a UV protective coating comes as standard on the GLS alongside LED illumination with brightness settings and an electrically operated cover which can be opened and closed with the touch of a button.

The Eclipse Cross GLS Exceed is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that sends 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque to the front wheels via eight-step INVECS-III CVT.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross GLS Exceed is priced at R560 000 which includes a three-year/100 000km warranty and a five-year/90 000km service plan.

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