The Success of Mitsubishi Motors in 2022
Over the course of 2022, Mitsubishi Motors has been a little quiet in terms of new vehicles said to come from the automaker. With the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance working on new electric vehicle (EV) architecture and battery-electric vehicle (BEV) technologies, the first new model to come from the Alliance rests on the shoulders of the Japanese automaker, Mitsubishi. In 2022, many automotive groups announced their plans for the rest of the decade, and the Alliance shared Alliance 2030, a business plan with a large focus on EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as the next stop for the automotive group.
The Renault-Nissan-Alliance has already made a large investment of €10 billion invested in electrification technologies over the last ten years. With 15 plants currently manufacturing parts, motors, batteries for ten upcoming EV models on the drawing board, the Alliance wants to expand its goal by produced 35 new EV models. This will require an additional €23 billion investment. Moreover, the Alliance is in talks of opening a new EV facility for future Mitsubishi EV models, or the first one to lead the Alliance. Mitsubishi may not have seen such success for EVs in the states, but overseas in Japan, we’ve already seen a clear example of the automaker sharing resources with Nissan for the successful mini EV kei car. The Mitsubishi eK X EV won Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference of Japan Car of the Year for 2023.
In the states, an electrified model that does see some success is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Green Car Journal, a monthly magazine publication with a focus on green vehicles and environmentally friendly energy and technologies, highlighted the Outlander PHEV in late 2022. In fact, during the 2023 Green Car Awards, Outlander PHEV was named as the “2023 Family Green Car of the Year™”. The predecessor, the Mitsubishi Outlander, has also seen its fair share of success.
If there’s one thing Mitsubishi Motors can count on, its consumer loyalty. According to Reputation, an online reputation management service for businesses, some interesting finding for Mitsubishi were found during its “2022 Automotive Reputation Report”. Based on analysis of consumer experience in dealerships from over 30,000 automotive OEM brands, including dealer groups and dealerships across the United States, Canada, and Europe, Mitsubishi Motors North America received the second highest reputation ranking in the mass market category. Some of this comes down to the reliability consumers have found with Mitsubishi models, and some of it is the love such consumers may share with Mitsubishi products.
For instance, the Hispanic consumer market makes up a huge chunk of Mitsubishi sales. According to Puros Autos, the number one go-to website on the web for automotive news and developments around the world, 25-percent of all vehicles sold in the United States come from Hispanics in the auto market consumer base. The all-new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV has the highest percentage of Hispanic buyers in the industry, and that’s one reason why Puros Autos named the Mitsubishi Outlander “SUV of the Year” during the “Latin Flavor Cars of the Year 2021” awards. Another Hispanic organization, Hispanic Motor Press, also heralded the Mitsubishi Outlander, naming it the Crossover Utility of the Year during their annual Hispanic Motor Press Awards (HMPA).
If the growing sales for Mitsubishi Motors continues for its SUVs and PHEV, perhaps it will find an agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to invest in that new EV facility and finally introduce a new Mitsubishi EV on a global scale. For now, we wait. You can also find these award-winning Mitsubishi models when you look for a new Mitsubishi at University Mitsubishi.
