Both Mitsubishi and Suzuki maintain they have no plans to exit the United States market, but there is little to suggest the companies have what it takes to reverse their sliding sales in the face of increased competition from automakers like Volkswagen, Kia and Hyundai. Adding to their uphill battle, insiders say neither automaker has any significant vehicle launches planned for the next three years.
Suzuki's product pipeline could already be on empty. Sources familiar with Suzuki's product plans say there isn't a single new or updated vehicle planned until at least 2015. However, Suzuki will show a compact concept at the upcoming Paris Motor Show which will eventually replace the current SX4. The company hasn't confirmed that the next-generation SX4 will be sold on these shores, but it appears to be a strong possibility.
It is also rumored that a revised Grand Vitara SUV will debut this fall.
As a result of those stale lineups, Mitsubishi's sales have sunk 29 percent to 37,067 units this year while Suzuki's sales are down 4 percent to 15,260 deliveries. The two automakers now account for 0.6 percent of the entire U.S. market, down from 1.4 percent in 2007.
The overall U.S. market was up 14 percent as of July.
