As we all know, Mitsubishi Motors has actively participated in various rally races and achieved good results. In the past, Mitsubishi's hardcore off-road vehicles were also used by many users in the Chinese market. However, with the rise of its own brand of hardcore off-road vehicles, Mitsubishi has indeed declined in recent years. In 2021, Mitsubishi Motors sold only 66,000 vehicles in the Chinese market, down 12% year-on-year, and even less than some brands' monthly sales.
The decline of Mitsubishi Motors was made in many ways. First of all, the main business of Japan's Mitsubishi is not to build cars, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, shipbuilding, weapons manufacturing is Mitsubishi's core business. The automotive business also joined Renault-Nissan to form the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Therefore, in this context, as a small brand, Mitsubishi Motors is inferior to its other big brands in terms of the speed of product development and the scale of its products.
The second is that Mitsubishi has made a name for itself in the Chinese market is the SUV model, whether it is Mitsubishi Pajero or Outlander, there is still a good reputation. But in recent years, everyone knows that SUVs have become the Red Sea market, and the competition is very fierce. Mitsubishi has also slowly lost its original position in the SUV market.
Therefore, I think Mitsubishi Motors is currently in a precarious position in the Chinese market. The simple summary is that one has no brand and two have no technology.
Therefore, in order to make up for the lack of technology, Mitsubishi had to seek the help of GAC to develop Mitsubishi models on the basis of GAC's Aehan V model, and Artuco AIR TREK is a good example.
Artuco AIR TREK was developed on the basis of GAC Aion V, so the two cars have very similar body parameters, the body width is the same, the wheelbase is the same, the length and height are also between millimeters, and the motor power is the same.
In fact, not only the body parameters, the exterior design of the two models is also very similar, almost the same split headlights, almost the same body side shape. Both indicate that the two models have an extraordinary relationship.
As an independent brand model, GAC Aion V has more advantages than Artuco AIR TREK in terms of price and configuration. So what is the competitiveness of Artuco AIR TREK?
Therefore, as a hull replacement model of GAC Aehan V, Mitsubishi Artuka AIR TREK is basically not competitive.
In terms of branding, I think Mitsubishi's brand influence is not as good as before. Although Japanese brands have a good market share in the Chinese market, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have good sales. However, Mitsubishi is an exception, and in 2021, even if the Mazda brand has 132,400 units sold, Mitsubishi is only half of Mazda. And Mitsubishi is also the Japanese brand with the largest year-on-year decline.
In recent years, with the rise of independent brands, there have been many joint venture brands that cannot be supported. Among them, there are many Japanese brands, Suzuki Motors withdrew from the Chinese market, Acura withdrew from the Chinese market, so it is difficult to say whether the next to withdraw from the Chinese market will be Mitsubishi. But following this trend, I guess it's going to be fast.