Chart Of The Day: Mitsubishi Is America's Fastest Growing Auto Brand, Sort Of

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

Relative to their own achievements during the first seven months of 2014, no auto brand in America is growing faster through the first seven months of 2015 than Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi?

Yes, Mitsubishi.

Compared with the January-July period last year, Mitsubishi volume is up 25 percent in 2015. Yet a 25-percent gain at Mitsubishi, which is ending North American production, translates to only 11,391 extra sales, year-over-year. Moreover, if we reach back a decade, Mitsubishi sales through the first seven months of 2005 were 33-percent stronger than they are now — and that was three years into the brand’s free fall.

Jeep, on the other hand, has produced a 21-percent year-over-year increase through the first seven months of 2015, a gain of 82,515 sales. That latter figure is unparalleled in today’s U.S. auto market. Jeep has boosted its sales with nearly across-the-board gains. The Patriot is up 34 percent, the Cherokee is up 28 percent, the Grand Cherokee is up 4 percent, and the Wrangler is up 19 percent. Jeep has added 20,751 sales via the Renegade. Only the Compass, down 16 percent, has been a drag. Jeep sales have increased in each of the last five years and reached a record high in calendar year 2014.

Similarly, Mitsubishi is producing gains across its lineup. Lancer volume is up 19 percent, the Mirage is up 53 percent, Outlander volume has grown by 16 percent, and the Outlander Sport reported an 18-percent year-to-date gain. Only the disappearance of a few Galant sales (only 122 were sold by this point last year) and an inconsequential 26-percent i MiEV drop has slowed the brand’s growth.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Timothy Cain
Timothy Cain

More by Timothy Cain

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 16 comments
  • Eggsalad Eggsalad on Aug 25, 2015

    Here in Las Vegas, I'm seeing a crapton of new Mirages... ...all bearing rental-car barcodes. Why not? MSRP is $14k for a base-spec with CVT. There's a $1250 rebate. Average Joe can get one for $12,750 without haggling. Whaddaya bet Mitsubishi is knocking off another thou for Hertz? Under $12k means Hertz can rent one out for about $25/day to the cheapskates. And they do! My daily commute includes about 2 miles on The Las Vegas Strip. I bet that on any given day I see 10 Mirages in that 2 mile stretch.

  • Motormouth Motormouth on Aug 26, 2015

    Mitsubishi is now outselling Honda across Europe. Which indicates how bad Honda is tanking in Europe and how the minnows are taking up some of the slack.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
Next