It’s no secret that Mitsubishi i s struggling to survive in the United States market – with some analysts suggesting the Japanese should “forget about America” – but the company’s revised compact SUV could just be the boost Mitsubishi needs.
A new Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is on the way for the United States market and, if early Japanese sales are indication, the compact ‘ute could prove to be quite popular.
Now available for order in Japan, the Outlander Sport – known as the ASX in the JDM – has far exceeded Mitsubishi ’s sales expectations. Mitsubishi planned to sell about 1,500 examples of the ASX per month, but have already racked up 5,169 orders.
Even better news for Mitsubishi, about 75 percent of those orders have been for the range-topping G model, resulting in higher transaction prices. The mid-level M has accounted for 18 percent of orders, with the base E model accounting for the remaining 7 percent of sales.
While it remains to be seen if the Outlander Sport’s success will translate to the U.S. market, the SUV’s brisk JDM sales are at least a positive sign for Mitsubishi. The Outlander Sport is scheduled to hit U.S. Mitsubishi dealers this fall, following an official production debut at the New York Auto Show.
References
1. ’2011 Mitsubishi ASX…’ view
