Mitsubishi boss shuns quick fix

The company's new president and CEO, Masahiko Takahashi, says the importer would not chase a quick fix to grab a bigger slice of the sales pie.  "I want sustainable, steady growth," he says. "But I want to improve the quality of our business in every sense, in terms of product, market share and sales."

In 2008 the company closed its Adelaide manufacturing plant, only to be followed last year by the global economic crisis.  Despite two body blows, the company's local sales fared well.

Mitsubishi sold 57,000 vehicles last year about 4000 vehicles shy of its 2008 result.  This year Takahashi is confident the company will match and possibly exceed its 2009 sales figure as the car market continues to surge.

Mitsubishi sales are up almost 20 per cent this year, in line with the overall market.  The company's small Lancer remains a dominant seller but its four-wheel drive line-up is also strong.

One of Takahashi's first tasks is to launch new products to help drive up the company's market share.  "But I also want to fine-tune our products to better suit Australian needs," he says.

Apart from tweaks to its existing vehicles, Mitsubishi will add another crossover off-roader, the small ASX, in August.  It will be pitched into the profitable compact off-roader segment, which is experiencing massive growth.

Off-roader sales are up 35 per cent this year as buyers move out of family sedans and into lifestyle vehicles.  "The global trend is for smaller compact off-roaders and we believe this trend will become very noticeable in Australia as well," he says.

Takahashi, like other car company executives is also closely watching the emerging Chinese carmakers.  With Chinese carmakers like Geely on the Australian doorstep and Great Wall Motors vehicles now on sale local, he was not as pessimistic as other importers about these emerging low-cost cars.

"Competition will be tough but it will also open up opportunities," he says.  A 27-year veteran of Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Takahashi has worked extensively in Japan, the Middle East and Latin America overseeing marketing, distribution and sales for those regions.

For the past five years he has held several key roles in the company's local operations.  Takahashi replaces Robert McEniry, who steered the company through the Adelaide plant closure.