That is how the top six brands finished in sales this year for Australia (breakdown on Caradvice.com.au). It was a record year and each of the top brands has their own unique mix of product types.
Toyotas dominance comes from generally malaise passenger cars that do their job well, in concert with strong fleet and commercial sales.
Mazda trades on a sporty image and many of their products now pack advanced powertains (such as the Sky Activ transmission) which see them offering more than just the reliability for which Japanese products have become known.
Holden have a lot of new products coming but their current line up is aging. This sees them slip somewhat and are now getting nipped at the heels by the slow but steady rise of Hyundai.
Hyundai, aside from an absence of a 4x4, now have a product portfolio that is broader than both Ford and Holden. From the quirky Veloster to the luxury flagship Genesis, the rising Korean is the second fully imported range in the top 5.
Then there is Mitsubishi. Without a segment leader (aside from the Mirage which leads the micro segment with <4000 sales for the year), the diamond advantage seems to be a proposition of value and features, coupled with that ever enduring Japanese reliability draw card.
Rather than offering the best car, the Mitsubishi equation seems to be Good Car + Best price = Great value.
Clearly it's working. Their growth (4.5%) in the market was twice that of nearest full import competitor Hyundai (2.0%).
Let's have a quick fang in the entry level Mitsubishi Outlander LS to see how much is enough.
Quick Links:
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