With the BS6 norms coming into effect, Mitsubishi had to discontinue the Pajero Sport and Outlander in India. The company currently has no model on sale in the counrty.
When was the last time you saw a Mitsubishi on our roads? You surely took some time to recall that or couldn’t remember at all. Well, Mitsubishi is a brand that has increasingly lost its popularity not just in India, but all across the globe. Post April 1, 2020, the company discontinued the Outlander and the Pajero Sport in India, and as it stands now, Mitsubishi does not list out a single car or even a service center on their India website.
The Japanese manufacturer, famous for models like the Lancer Evo, could soon be on its away to exit the Indian market. Mitsubishi has really struggled with sales in the last couple of years and their ageing products simply do not match up to the newer crop of cars. And that’s despite the fact that the company had two very capable ‘SUVs’ in their portfolio.
Mitsubishi gained popularity in India with the Lancer and the Pajero quite a few years ago. The Mitsubishi Lancer was originally launched as a C2-segment car and it was meant to rival the Honda City. Although the Lancer never really had the commercial success of the City, it soon gained a cult status in India among the enthusiasts. It was also particularly mod friendly and we have seen numerous examples of tastefully modified Lancers over the years.
Mitsubishi gave minor updates to the Lancer over time. The highlight of its lifetime has to be the 1.8 liter INVEX model that came with a tiptronic semi-automatic transmission. However, high prices of the car and poor after sales services eventually brought the demise of the car. Mitsubishi also had the Pajero SUV which was known for its robustness and extremely comfortable ride.
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It was also a full-size SUV with seven seats and was pretty capable off the road as well. Then came the Outlander which was a very capable soft-roader that came with an amazing petrol engine, four-wheel drive and an upmarket cabin. Of course it was expensive and found takers only amongst the rich but it has to be admired for what it was. It however did not come with a diesel engine and that took away some of its buyers.
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While that was a brief product history of Mitsubishi in India, the company has really been struggling for the last of years in the country. The products have of course not lived up to its contemporary rivals and Mitsubishi does not even feature on the buying list of customers anymore. With the BS6 norms coming into effect, the company currently has no cars for sale in India. There is little or perhaps no demand, and with a fast reducing dealership network, the future looks bleak for Mitsubishi in India.
