Gagnon says the company will also market sedans, coupes and SUVs "with groupings of options and standard feature-packed trim levels that meet every need and budget."
Kelley says the company will not use no-dicker sales practices or anything different from the traditional marketing method. "The Canadian marketing plan will be consistent with our successful US marketing strategies," Kelley notes, "recognizing and respecting Canadian market differences," meaning "We have established our MSRPs based on market pricing; and dealers can sell for less."
Gagnon says Mitsubishi's vehicles appeal to people who are young-minded, stylish and who want to look and feel alive.
"In the U.S.," says Greg O'Neill, executive vice president and general manager of MMSA, "41.6 percent of our buyers are under the age of 35, making us the company with the second youngest average buyer age in the industry."
O'Neill says, "our unique style differentiates us from other mainstream brands, and through a Canadian national TV and print campaign, Canadian consumers will connect with our best ever product line."
Gagnon also noted that his plans would also "stimulate over $1.4 billion in dealership salaries and spending and create an anticipated 6,400 new dealership jobs," and a new head office in Mississauga and management and related jobs there.
This is all true, but it's not the economic windfall Gagnon would like you to think it is. The money spent putting up buildings will undoubtedly be a plus for the Canadian economy, but the money and jobs will mostly move from existing dealership operations and other car companies as consumers eschew a current brand in favor of Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi has been working hard to overcome its history regarding the treatment of women and minorities in its U.S. assembly plant, Kelley says, and was recently praised by America's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission "for its efforts in developing best practices in training and prevention of harassment."