A popular car brand could be returning to UK roads in the near future, almost five years since it exited the market.
Japanese brand Mitsubishi originally left the UK in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic decimated the car industry, forcing it to rethink its European strategy.
Through its partnership with Renault, Mitsubishi has returned to European forecourts, with a UK resurgence potentially being seen in the coming years.
Frank Krol, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Europe, said he would like to see the UK in its European expansion plans in the future.
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The European boss of Mitsubishi said the brand could make a return to the UK
MITSUBISHI
Speaking to Autocar, he said: "If you look at the potential and size of the market, it's our preferred route to go back, basically. But we need to have the right product line-up for that."
Mitsubishi hasn't sold new vehicles in the UK since October 2021, with the brand telling GB News last August that it had no plans to reintroduce sales.
Through the brand's used car portal, drivers are still able to get their hands on a second-hand Mitsubishi.
Models include the Mitsubishi ASX, Eclipse Cross, L200, Lancer, Mirage, Outlander, Shogun and Shogun Sport.
Mitsubishi exited the UK market after Covid decimated vehicle sales
PA
In 2024, Mitsubishi produced an impressive 944,708 vehicles, with almost 110,000 units sold in the United States alone.
This represented a significant jump in sales of 25.8 per cent from the previous year, while every model saw sales growth.
Mitsubishi could take advantage of the growing market of larger SUV-type vehicles, which has seen a spike in demand across the UK and Europe in recent years.
Pick-up trucks are also becoming more popular, with tradespeople and businesses making use of the additional space and range they offer.
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Following the pandemic, Mitsubishi launched "an array of tempting post-lockdown offers" to claw back sales following a Covid-related slump over 2020 and 2021.
This included up to £4,000 in customer savings, three years of free maintenance, a £400 test drive incentive and up to 28 per cent savings on accessories.
Autocar stated that Mitsubishi was ending sales of the Eclipse Cross and Mirage as they don't comply with the EU's General Safety Regulations 2 legislation.
Krol, who has been at Mitsubishi since 1999, did not confirm when the popular brand would return to UK roads, but noted that it needs to act fast.
The Mitsubishi Outlander is one of the brand's most popular models
MITSUBISHIHe said: "It is not preferred to have an extremely long period without any sales presence. That's something we would need to consider."
He highlighted that Mitsubishi could return to the UK with a product lineup including a Scenic and a new plug-in hybrid Outlander.
The current generation of Outlander PHEV has an electric range of 28 miles and a combined range of over 400 miles.
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