Mitsubishi Motors Europe (MME) boosted unit volume 7% year on year to 149,967 sales.
“This positive result was achieved in spite of a much convoluted economic environment in the region, the end of scrapping incentives in markets such as France, the effect of austerity measures in Spain, Greece, Portugal or Ireland, as well as a very fluctuating customer confidence overall,” MME said in a statement.
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The company also had to cope with unfavourable exchange rates and natural disasters in Asia which affected supplies of pickup trucks from Thailand for one month after the floods there and other models from Japan following the March earthquake and tsunami.
“The plan is for this shortfall in units to be recovered as much as possible by the end of the fiscal year (31 March, 2012),” MME said.
Japanese production returned to normal in October.
Mitsubishi sales rose 27% in Germany (30,971), 48% in Norway (8,996), 19% in Italy (8,759), 31% in Turkey (7,677), 13% in the Netherlands (6,910), 25% in Belgium (5,897), 24% in Switzerland (5,617), 20% in Austria (5,017) and 18% in France (6,725). UK sales were down 10% to 17,060 units.
The ASX crossover sold over 50,000 units Europe-wide, well above its original target of around 30,000 units, in spite of increasing competition.
The L200 pickup and Pajero/Montero/Shogun SUVs accounted for 22% of MME total volume.
The all-electric i-MiEV sold 2,660 units in 2011.
“In such a volatile and unpredictable economic environment, it would not be wise to make firm predictions for calendar 2012, the objective being – at the very least – to sustain the current volume,” MME said.
Mitsubishi will launch a “new premium vehicle” [just-auto expects this to preview the next generation Outlander which is built in Europe and Russia and shared with Peugeot and Citroen] at the Geneva show alongside the new EU-specification “global small” car (sales start early 2013).
Top MME markets 2011
1. Germany: 30,971 units + 27%
2. The UK 17,060 units – 10%
3. Norway: 8,996 units + 48%
4. Italy 8,759 units + 19%
5. Spain: 8,254 units – 14%
6. Turkey: 7,677 units + 31%
7. Poland: 7,071 units – 29%
8. Israel: 7,050 units – 16%
9. The Netherlands 6,910 units + 13%
10. France: 6,725 units + 18%
11. Sweden: 6,324 units + 7%
12. Belgium: 5,897 units + 25%
13. Switzerland: 5,617 units + 24%
14. Austria: 5,017% + 20%
15. Portugal: 3,279 units – 33%
Volume by model:
1. ASX: 49,463 units introduced late spring 2010
2. Colt: 26,193 units – 12.7%
3. L200: 23,684 units + 6%
4. Outlander: 19,779 units – 22%
5. Lancer: 18,138 units – 32 %
6. Pajero: 9,116 units + 1%
7. I-MiEV 2,660 units introduced early 2011
