Sadly,
Mitsubishi seems too focused on the latter than any of the former. Mitsubishi's image is largely built on the Evo and the Eclipse, and while I can't claim to have seen every Mitsubishi commercial televised in the past couple of years, I can't recall a single spot for the Galant sedan (Justin and Trevor claim to have seen the Galant commercial with everyone waving to the kid to the tune of the Flaming Lips' "Do you Realize" as well as the See What Happens commercial several times, but I saw it maybe once and I watch a whole lot more TV, so I guess they've got better channel surfing skills--then again, Justin, at least, usually downloads and watches them on his computer). Mitsubishi has some really cool ads centred around the Eclipse and the Lancer Ralliart, but they haven't put enough effort toward putting their exceptional midsize sedan, a bland looking but spacious and dynamic vehicle by most accounts, into the minds of consumers on a large scale. Mitsubishi needs to wake up and follow (by no means related to Mitsubishi's old slogan) the breadth of the Eclipse and Spyder campaigns with a push to introduce their largely ignored Galant and Endeavor to the masses.
The last vehicle in Mitsubishi's lineup is a full-size, fully capable SUV by
the name of Montero. Chances are you've never seen one, but they're out there and they are bred from Dakar Rally-winning vehicles known as Pajero Evolutions. Mitsubishi has been winning Dakar Rallies longer than I have been driving, and they need to put that stellar record to use, especially here in the land of snow and slush, where rally pedigree is good for convincing our winter-driven culture of a safety edge. Unfortunately, this is the final year for the Montero in Canada; if you're interested, we suggest picking one up, before they vanish permanently.
Mitsubishi, on the other hand, doesn't seem about to vanish from the Canadian scene at all, as some pundits have long pontificated. With new investment into the Canadian market, and much needed independence from its U.S. ally, it just might rise up as a serious threat to more mainstream brands. It'll never spar in the same weight class as Toyota, at least with regards to sales volumes, but Canadians tend to root for the underdog, which could benefit the oldest Japanese automotive brand over the short- and long-term.
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| Another newcomer for '07 is the Ralliart version of the Galant, pictured here. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America) |
The last vehicle in Mitsubishi's lineup is a full-size, fully capable SUV by
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| Say goodbye to this beast: Montero is axed after '06. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America) |
Mitsubishi, on the other hand, doesn't seem about to vanish from the Canadian scene at all, as some pundits have long pontificated. With new investment into the Canadian market, and much needed independence from its U.S. ally, it just might rise up as a serious threat to more mainstream brands. It'll never spar in the same weight class as Toyota, at least with regards to sales volumes, but Canadians tend to root for the underdog, which could benefit the oldest Japanese automotive brand over the short- and long-term.
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