Amid the Clean Car Discount registration chaos of March, which triggered record new- and used-vehicle registrations for the month, Mitsubishi emerged with a rare double.
The brand secured the top spot for both manufacturer market share and in individual model sales, with the Triton outranking its Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux rivals. And in a statement issued earlier today, Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand indicated the brand managed to break three of its own sales records.
Waka Kotahi NZ data uncovered this morning showed that 2266 Tritons were registered in March, outnumbering the Ranger (1934) and Hilux (1580). The Outlander was also a strong seller, being the second most registered passenger vehicle of the month behind the Tesla Model 3.
The same data indicates that 3566 Mitsubishis were registered in March, with Ford recording 2363 registrations and Toyota recording 2262 registrations. Mitsubishi’s data matches that of Waka Kotahi, although the brand labels its data “retail sales” as opposed to registrations.
“These results are a foot flat to the floor burst of sales activity to cross the end of financial year finishing line,” says Reece Congdon, MMNZ Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs.
Mitsubishi were one of the first brands to announce it had specifically ordered a model (the Triton) in bulk in order to get vehicles registered before the Clean Car Discount levies came into play. The move appears to have paid dividends.
“We secured 5,000 Tritons for New Zealand and ute drivers have responded emphatically ahead of the introduction of the Clean Car Standard in April,” Congdon adds.
“We already knew through responses to our online pre-ordering initaitives, and through increasing dealership enquiries, that more and more Kiwis are turning to Mitsubishi for value and aftersales support.
“These results prove that, not only are we not content to rest on our laurels, we’re working harder than ever to keep improving.”
“Mitsubishi has 1500 orders across its Outlander and Eclipse plug-in hybrid variants. These are due for delivery in April, presumably with customers being able to claim corresponding Clean Car Discount rebates.
“Kiwis have embraced the Next Generation Outlander PHEV at levels not seen for a hybrid vehicle in New Zealand before,” says Congdon.
