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Mitsubishi out of stock as pickup sales rocket
Page 16
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• Mitsubishi has run out of commercial vehicles to sell until the second part of its quota arrives in August. Until then there are only 18 LCVs left in the whole of the dealer network to satisfy demand.
Mitsubishi's commercial vehicle quota includes the L300 panel vans, L200 pickups, and the 3.5-tonne Canter chassis cab. It is usually set at between 1,500 and 2,000 vehicles per year and fluctuates according to demand. Over 900 Mitsubishi commercials have been sold so far this year, which leaves precious few for the August new registrations sales boom. Demand for the L300 van has risen by 14% this year and the pickups have proved immensely popular with demand up by 170%.
According to Mitsubishi, the situation means that by August, the company "is short of vehicles," and by September, It is juggling the rest of the quota very, very carefully." Although the demand for Canter chassis cabs has not risen this year, the company has not been able to promote the vehicle because of the quota restrictions. "We can't have any plans for the Canter under the present circumstances," says a company spokesman.
The actual quota figures are set by the Japanese equivalent of the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, JAMA. Although the UK Mitsubishi importer, The Colt Car Company, has not spoken out against the quota deal, managing director Peter Beaumont is unhappy with the system.
o The fate of Mitsubishi's 3.5-tonne Canter light truck seems to be hanging in the balance, and the 2.3-litre diesel-engined chassis cab may not be bought in the UK after the end of this year.
The Colt Car only expects to sell around 30 Canters this year, making it difficult to justify the vehicle within its overall light CV quota.