Mitsubishi Motors Europe (MME) boosted sales 8% year on year to 118,389 in the first half of 2007 despite the exclusion of fastest-growing Russia from its territory since 1 April.
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Russia was MME’s top market but is now a stand-alone business region reporting directly to Mitsubishi head office in Japan.
MME nonetheless expects to see growth in Ukraine (H1 up 100% with 10,964 sales) and in central Europe (especially Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Baltic states) – plus Israel.
Struggling French sales showed signs of a comeback with a 28% H1 gain, boosted by the successful introduction of the Outlander and Pajero, and there was continued growth in Belgium (13%), Ireland (11%), Switzerland ( 8%) and Austria (32%) and stable results in Italy and Spain.
German sales were off 8%, however, affected by a depressed market environment (H1 down 9.2%), and the United Kingdom (-10%) where a combination of supply shortages of new models and “tougher than anticipated competition” eroded Mitsubishi’s position.
MME said its four-wheel drive lines had generated higher profitability due to a richer model mix (for the Pajero, 54% of the volume is accounted for by the highest trim grades, whilst for Outlander the share is 70%).
