Mitsubishi: Too old and too expensive

[csv8]

Mitsubishi: Too old and too expensive

Date
August 23, 2012 - 8:38AM


Matt Campbell

New Australian boss gives a frank assessment of the brand’s line-up.


"The product is old ... and the prices are too high."

That's what Mitsubishi Australia's new president and chief executive Mutsuhiro Oshikiri thinks about the current product range offered by the Japanese brand.

Oshikiri joined the Australian arm of the company just 10 weeks ago, and says he is eager to get a better grasp of what needs to change in order for more buyers to consider the brand when shopping for a new car.
Advertisement

Mitsubishi has been repricing its products and updating its model ranges with new equipment incrementally over the past two to three years, but despite boosting the value-for-money equation sales are down by more than 5 per cent year-to-date compared to 2011. On contrast, the overall market is up almost 10 per cent.

Oshikiri says the brand has missed the mark on several occasions in recent years.

"In most cases, we have a similar complaint [about a particular car] and we feel shame, because if everybody says different [problems with the car] it's OK, but if everybody says the same thing, we are idiots – we didn't do the proper thing," he says.

"Our customer is a commonsense customer," he says. He says the company needs to get the basic customer demands addressed in order to keep its position as one of the country's top sellers.

Oshikiri admits he is still learning about the crowded Australian car market.

"Our [cars are] old and we need more value for money," he says.

"I don't know why people buy a Mitsubishi. That is a simple question, difficult answer that I have to think about for the next three or four months. What is the benefit? Why do we have to be here? What is the future? I have to find out."

A large part of that future is the roll-out of new models. That starts with the return of the Mirage city car and the all-new Outlander SUV early next year.
Brisbanetimes.drive.com.au/motor-news/mitsubishi-too-old-and-too-expensive-20120823-24nfi.html

Not part of the news article: My comment : sounds like Ford Australia !!