2006 Eclipse Sales are Saving Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi always gets a lucky break back in 99 it was the Galant that saved Mitsubishi Motors of America, now it’s the 2006 Eclipse’s turn:
Mitsubishi Buoyant Over Eclipse
By Bill Visnic
WardsAuto.com, Aug 11 2005
Mitsubishi’s new Eclipse is selling well, and executives see an expanding market working in the company’s favor.
PORTLAND, OR – Better-than-expected sales of its all-new Eclipse sport coupe and a U.S. auto market turbocharged by rampaging Big Three incentives have officials at Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. optimistic the company may be starting on the road to recovery.
Rich Gilligan, MMNA president and CEO, says the Eclipse, which went on sale in late May, is exceeding sales projections by some 65%.
Eclipse sales for the May-July period are tracking at an annual rate of about 40,000 units, Gilligan says – double last year’s total of 19,361.
Gilligan says MMNA is finishing improvements for Eclipse throughput at the company’s Normal, IL, assembly plant to accommodate the welcome demand for Mitsubishi’s best-known nameplate.
’06 Mitsubishi Eclipse
He also says July was Mitsubishi’s best sales month since last August, and a new-product onslaught will give dealers “the best and freshest product portfolio they’ve ever had.” (See related story: Mitsubishi Launching Product Assault, Image Overhaul)
The auto maker is further encouraged by robust industry sales driven by the heavily promoted employee-pricing programs of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group. Dave Schembri, executive vice president-sales and marketing, says all boats rose on the sales bubble the incentive programs created.
Schembri says July’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of approximately 22 million units will have positive long-term effects for the industry, noting the U.S. is evolving into a nation of the 3-car garage.
“We’re moving more towards a 20-million market than a 16-million market,” he says.
Schembri and Gilligan say Mitsubishi is well-placed to take advantage of the demand with six new products coming in the next 26 months.
Next up is the Raider midsize pickup Mitsubishi highlights here, which goes on sale in late September. A drop-top Eclipse Spyder follows next spring.
In fall 2006, Mitsubishi will introduce an all-new Lancer compact, a new version of the Outlander cross/utility vehicle and the Lancer Evolution X high-performance sport sedan, based on the redesigned Lancer platform.
’06 Mitsubishi Raider
Schembri says some of the new Eclipse’s success can be attributed to the Ford Mustang, which has re-energized the slumbering sport-coupe market.
“All the other manufacturers are trying to figure out how they can get back in the segment,” says Schembri of reports that other auto makers are scrambling to revive decommissioned plans for sporty coupes.
Among them, Chrysler Group reputedly is plotting a 2-door variant of its successful LX platform, and General Motors Corp. is rumored to be working on resurrecting the Chevrolet Camaro nameplate.
Meanwhile, Mitsubishi hopes the Raider – returning to the midsize-pickup segment after more than a decade’s hiatus – will bolster the brand’s image by offering plenty of truck for the money.
Based on the new Dodge Dakota, the Raider comes in three trim levels. It is the only import-badge midsize pickup to offer the option of V-8 power in the form of a 230-hp, 4.7L SOHC unit sourced from Chrysler. The Raider’s base engine is a Chrysler-made 3.7L SOHC V-6.
Mitsubishi does not provide pricing here, but says its new pickup will start at less than $20,000, while a V-8 powered Raider with all-wheel drive and the best of three trim levels will top out at about $30,000.
Schembri says Mitsubishi will make as many Raiders as the market demands.
