Mitsubishi eyes record sales next year

MANILA, Philippines - Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.(MMPC) is aiming to achieve record-high sales next year on expectations of sustained market appetite for cars, particularly for its newly launched Mirage, and as it introduces new vehicle models.

“Next year, we will try to sell 43,000 units,” Hikosaburo Shibata, president and chief executive officer of MMPC told reporters Thursday night.

MMPC’s 43,000-target for next year is the highest set by the firm so far, with record-high sales of 36,500 units last seen in 1996.

Shibata said the firm is looking to hit record sales next year on expectations that the strong demand for cars seen this year would persist with rising consumers’ purchasing power.

He said  total industry sales are seen to increase to 200,000 units next year from 181,000 units this year.

He noted that MMPC alone is looking to sell 35,000 to 36,000 units this year, higher than the 32,000 units sold in 2011.

As of end-November, he revealed that the firm’s sales have reached 31,500 units.

For the month of November alone, he said MMPC’s sales reached 3,840 units, the firm’s highest monthly sales.

Of the total November sales, 1,000 units sold were accounted for by the all-new Mirage subcompact hatchback.

The Mirage was just launched by MMPC last month.

Froilan Dytianquin, MMPC vice president for marketing told reporters the firm is hoping to achieve higher sales next year with the strong demand for the Mirage.

“We are banking heavily on the Mirage. Through that we were able to establish monthly record in November,” he said.

Apart from the demand for the Mirage, he said the launch of two new vehicle models next year is likewise seen to support higher sales.

Shibata said MMPC would introduce a new passenger car and sports utility vehicle next year.

“We’ll see them in the second-half,” he said.

He said upgrades to some Mitsubishi models would also be seen next year, but declined to give more details.

Apart from the Mirage, MMPC is currently selling the L300 van, Adventure, Lancer EX, Strada, Montero Sport, Mirage, Pajero, ASX and the Fuzion.