Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand hit an all-time sales record for June, with 2116 vehicles registered. It's the biggest sales month in NZ for the brand since 1985 - back in the heyday of local manufacturing in Porirua.
The star performer was the ASX SUV, clocking up 740 sales. The larger Outlander SUV continues to march out of showrooms, despite an all-new model being on the way this year (408). Triton is also a strong performer in the light-commercial sector (569 units).
It's also the third sales-month record for Mitsubishi for 2021.
We're yet to see official NZ-market figures from the Motor Industry Association for June, but it's likely to be a massive month for the industry as a whole - and the last unaffected by the Government's Clean Car Programme, which kicked in for EVs on July and will reach full "feebate" status from January 2022.
With $5750 rebates now available for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), Mitsubishi NZ is also reporting a substantial order bank fro its PHEV models. It now has 280 customers waiting for the new Eclipse Cross and current Outlander PHEV models, which share the same powertrain (including a battery with 55km electric range and twin-motor all-wheel drive system).
“The arrival of Eclipse Cross PHEV in June coincided with the government’s Clean Car Discount, which has provided a further incentive for the increasing number of drivers for whom more sustainable transport solutions are a key consideration,” says MMNZ head of marketing and corporate affairs Reece Congdon.
“At a special launch price of $49,990 (plus ORC), we always felt the new Eclipse Cross PHEV would quickly join Outlander PHEV as a highly desirable option for motorists looking to reduce their fuel bill and vehicle emissions.”
The post-rebate prices for Eclipse Cross and Outlander PHEVs are $44,240 and $46,470 respectively, making them two of NZ's cheapest new EVs.