Like our new friends, I too would have been a little dumbfounded when eyeing the new Raider for the first time, had I not known
about its impending arrival from the time that a few artist's renderings started appearing late last year, and then when the real deal showed up at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January. Like the Outlander, Endeavor and Montero SUVs, the Raider really stands out, and as you can tell by the reaction of passersby, for the right reasons.
The Raider is a bold new entry in a growing market segment, and due to its eye-catching styling Mitsubishi might very well have a product on its hands that manages to nick away at Toyota's customer retention dominance (for every customer Toyota loses it gains six), or at least entice enough new buyers to continue its steady climb out of the sales chart cellar. And getting noticed is critical for this to happen, as customers for an all-new model will have to come from somewhere.
But it's not like Mitsubishi has never been in the truck business before. I remember back to when Dodge's Mitsubishi-made compact D50 roamed the
streets. In the U.S., where Mitsubishi was sold (the brand only came to Canada in 2003), as well as other parts of the world, the tri-diamond version was called Mighty Max. While not a giant seller in North America, in either Mitsubishi or Dodge form, there will most likely be a small group of ex-owners interested in an all-new Mitsubishi pickup truck. Still, the majority of owners will be like our new friends, swayed by the truck's unique road presence.
I should add that there's a bit of irony to all this Mitsubishi-Dodge history, and this being that back when the D50 came into fruition Dodge primarily built full-size pickups and needed to look to its Japanese partner for a more competitive compact model. Now, Mitsubishi has turned to Dodge for a platform on which to build its midsize Raider, and the Dakota fit the bill to a T.
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| When I saw the real deal show up at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January, I knew that Mitsubishi was on to something. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
The Raider is a bold new entry in a growing market segment, and due to its eye-catching styling Mitsubishi might very well have a product on its hands that manages to nick away at Toyota's customer retention dominance (for every customer Toyota loses it gains six), or at least entice enough new buyers to continue its steady climb out of the sales chart cellar. And getting noticed is critical for this to happen, as customers for an all-new model will have to come from somewhere.
But it's not like Mitsubishi has never been in the truck business before. I remember back to when Dodge's Mitsubishi-made compact D50 roamed the
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| It's not like Mitsubishi has never been in the truck business before. The Japanese automaker sells pickups all over the world. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motor Corporation) |
I should add that there's a bit of irony to all this Mitsubishi-Dodge history, and this being that back when the D50 came into fruition Dodge primarily built full-size pickups and needed to look to its Japanese partner for a more competitive compact model. Now, Mitsubishi has turned to Dodge for a platform on which to build its midsize Raider, and the Dakota fit the bill to a T.