Mitsubishi Motors Reports Fourth Quarter, Full Calendar Year 2020 Sales

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Jan. 5, 2021 -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today reported fourth-quarter and total 2020 calendar year sales. In a challenging year for the industry, MMNA saw its first year-over-year decrease in U.S. sales since 2012, breaking a string of seven-straight years of sales growth. For the full calendar year, the company reported sales of 87,387, a decrease of 28 percent. For the fourth quarter of the year, MMNA sold 14,770 vehicles, a decrease of 42 percent compared with the same period in 2019. 

Through the bulk of 2020, MMNA concentrated efforts on supporting its dealer partners across the country with COVID protocols, to assist in protecting employees and customers. But a key part of the company's year-long effort was to focus on improving the overall and long-term health of the franchise dealer network and Mitsubishi Motors business by reducing both dealer stock (50% reduction compared to December 2019) and fleet sales.

Actions undertaken throughout 2020 were instrumental in preparing Mitsubishi Motors dealers for what promises to be a strong 2021, with growth and improved profitability brought about by key new model launches in the first quarter of the new year.

Looking ahead in 2021, Mitsubishi Motors' plan to reinvigorate its presence in the U.S. marketplace continues in full-force. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, the brand will launch three considerably upgraded vehicles, the redesigned 2022 Eclipse Cross, redesigned 2021 Mirage and Mirage G4, and the all-new next-generation 2022 Outlander.

News and Notes

• Mitsubishi Motors teased the first image of the highly anticipated next-generation 2022 Outlander. The vehicle will have a global reveal in February 2021. Developed under the ideal "I-Fu-Do-Do," a Japanese term that means authentic and majestic, the all-new Outlander demonstrates strength and quality from the inside out.
• MMNA revealed the restyled 2022 Eclipse Cross, offering a sleek, sporty SUV appearance and improved technology, driving confidence and comfort. The new Eclipse Cross will arrive in U.S. dealerships in the first quarter of 2021.
• MMNA will soon launch a comprehensive online retailing system, allowing buyers to shop where, when and how they choose to. Customers will be able to see real-time dealership inventory, build their deal based on available incentives and local taxes, apply for credit, and receive an estimate for their trade-in.
• MMNA continues to invest in and expand its national dealer network, adding 22 new dealer partners to the Mitsubishi family in 2020. Additionally, MMNA continues to celebrate the opening of new-construction and significantly renovated facilities under its corporate Visual Identity Program.

About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, research and development, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. 2019 marked the brand's seventh consecutive year of sales growth, and MMNA was the top-ranked Japanese brand in the J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality study, ranking sixth overall and experiencing the greatest year-over-year improvement of any brand.

Located in Franklin, Tennessee, MMNA is a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Mitsubishi continues to lead the way in the development of highly efficient, affordably priced new gasoline-powered automobiles, while using its industry-leading knowledge in battery-electric vehicles to develop future EV and PHEV models.