Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. is banking on the locally-manufactured new Mirage G4 to boost sales this year as the industry slowly recovers from the crisis.
The subcompact sedan updated its style, features and amenities with cleaner lines and sportier curves. It retains the MIVEC 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine mated to the INVECS-III CVT, or a five-speed manual transmission.
MMPC incoming president Takao Kato said the new Mitsubishi Mirage, with excellent features for the price of a small sedan, is the best yet the company has to offer since the pandemic started in 2020.
“By introducing the new Mirage G4, Mitsubishi Motors will enhance its local production and commit
to the Philippine market furthermore,” he said during the official launch of the new Mirage G4 over the weekend.
He confirmed that the company continued to struggle with lean sales, reflecting the predicament of the whole Philippine automotive industry.
The Mirage is one of the two models enrolled under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy together with the Toyota Vios.
Kato said despite the slower sales, MMPC kept its workforce and would continue to create new job opportunities for automotive workers.
“We cannot disclose our current situation, unfortunately, during this pandemic. This also has an effect on our performance. However, we are continuously committed to reviving our auto industry and contributing to the revitalization of the economy,” he said.
The company is optimistic that the new Mirage G4 would help the company turn around and make up for the slower sales of the other segments.
MMPC started to locally manufacture the Mirage in 2017 and committed to deliver at least 200,000 units until 2022, as part of the the CARS program.
MMPC is the second-biggest automotive player in the Philippines with a market share of 14.59 percent for 22,504 units sold in the first seven months.
The local automotive industry sold 154,265 units from January to July, up by 47.1 percent from a year ago, but still below the pre-pandemic level.