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Honda/Mitsubishi sales in Ireland.

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  • 31-05-2008 8:30pm
    #1
    Green Hornet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭


    Why are the sales of the likes of Honda and Mitsubishi so low in Ireland? In the case of Honda their cars are very well regarded and have very good residuals - probably equivalent to VW and Toyota. Yet they sell only a fraction of the cars that VW and Toyota sell. I find it strange because Honda's tend to have more personality than Toyota's (just my personal opinion and I know Toyota are a great car).

    In the case of Mitsubishi, I believe the residual values are not great but why? Most motoring mags rate Mitsubishi as a reliable car. The new Lancer is a lovely car and its a pity that they dont come in 1.8L or greater.

    I'm not trying to start a thread about how great this car and that car are. I'm just curious and wonder why the sales are lower than equivalent manufacturers.


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    #2
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,456 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    I think a lot of it comes down to their limited model lineup in the past.


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    #3
    JHMEG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,686 ✭✭✭JHMEG


    It's in Univeral Honda's past literature. They aimed for 3% of the market and achieved it. They have always treated Honda as a somewhat exclusive brand (which went awry when all the jap imports started flooding in), and are not interested in selling shiploads. They are also constrained by supply, and usually cannot get shiploads even if they wanted to. Their Civic Hybrid allocation for 2007 was a whole 2.

    I don't know what the story is with Mitsubishi.


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    #4
    shawnee
    Registered Users Posts: 1,830 ✭✭✭shawnee


    In general Toyota would have a much higher profile and more dealers in Ireland. Honda are a little more expensive and probably haven't the range of the Toyota. Overall it is down to marketing and Toyota and Nissan have hit the market here big time.


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    #5
    pburns
    Registered Users Posts: 2,423 ✭✭✭pburns


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    I think a lot of it comes down to their limited model lineup in the past.

    Not so much limited model line-up as limited engine line-up. Basically the soon-to-be-superceded capacity-based taxation/VRT system MURDERED Honda in this country.

    For example their only diesel is the 2.2 and the range of engines available in the Civic are quite limited.

    Honda should fare much better in the CO2-based system but there are still problems - no diesel in the somewhat under-rated Civic saloon for example...


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    #6
    what_car
    Closed Accounts Posts: 674 ✭✭✭what_car


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    I think a lot of it comes down to their limited model lineup in the past.

    having owned both makes here is my opinion...

    honda have a more premium feel to them, and better materials, dash etc.
    accord still made in japan, and has a better build quality than the avensis.

    the bigger sales in the toyota range have been in the 1.4 - 1.6 market.

    accord smallest engine is 2.0

    it goes down to the Irish mentality of small engines and small road tax bills:D

    toyotas are very common brand on the road.

    the honda brand, has a more premium feel over that of toyota and is a better built car, and better after sales service. and as the market is not as flooded with second hand hondas, they should hold a better residual than a toyota?


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    #7
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    I would say Mitsubishi do quite well in the commercial sector. My sis just bought a Grandis, purely because she didn't feel there was a suitable alternative from Toyota which she has driven for 5yrs. However, she will probably lose her shirt on it come trade in time. Its a nice car to drive also and the 2.0 litre diesel is very quiet.


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    #8
    bazz26
    Registered Users Posts: 51,244 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    pburns wrote: »
    Not so much limited model line-up as limited engine line-up. Basically the soon-to-be-superceded capacity-based taxation/VRT system MURDERED Honda in this country.

    For example their only diesel is the 2.2 and the range of engines available in the Civic are quite limited.

    Honda should fare much better in the CO2-based system but there are still problems - no diesel in the somewhat under-rated Civic saloon for example...

    Honda had a 1.7 litre diesel available in the last generation of Civic, they never bothered selling it here. They meet their sales targets here and are quite happy with that but in reality they seem to have very little interest in the small Irish car market. Generally though Honda have never really tried to be a large volume seller like Toyota, Ford, VW, etc. Their marketing strategy always seems to be focused on quality rather than quanity.

    Mitsubishi used sell alot of passenger cars here up to the mid 1990s then all of a sudden they were no longer fashionable. Cars like the Colt, Lancer and Galant were popular but then these cars became dated quickly compared to their competitors, the Colt/Lancer were basically unchanged from 1996 to 2004. The Carisma was a poor car from the start, it also was trying to compete in the next segment up when it wasn't anywhere near that in size. And the Galant grew in size with every generation until there was no market for large fwd cars from main stream manufacturers. However their commerical range have always sold well and the EVOs have also found homes.

    I think Nissan are suffering the same fait as Mitsubishi, Nissan's 4x4 range are selling well but the only passenger car really selling for them at the moment is the Quashqai.


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    #9
    G Luxel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,407 ✭✭✭G Luxel


    i think that some hondas are built in swindon and shipped to japan. ive yet to see the civic coupe and then there is the (i)... there are other cars not available here like the galant, airwave, elysion and others to mention.


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    #10
    Green Hornet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭Green Hornet


    G Luxel wrote: »
    i think that some hondas are built in swindon and shipped to japan.
    Yeah. The Civic hatchback is built in Swindon as far as I know and the Civic saloons are built in Japan.


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    #11
    JHMEG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,686 ✭✭✭JHMEG


    bazz26 wrote: »
    Honda had a 1.7 litre diesel available in the last generation of Civic, they never bothered selling it here.
    Because it was only available in the Swindon-built hatchbacks, and not in the Japan-built saloons. It was an Isuzu engine and was more of a "UK special" than anything else, as they prefer hatchbacks and have a fondness for diesel.
    G Luxel wrote:
    ve yet to see the civic coupe
    All Accord and Civic coupes have always been built in the US.


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    #12
    ninty9er
    Registered Users Posts: 9,366 ✭✭✭ninty9er


    I've always like Mitsubishis, particularly the last generation Galant and the 93-97 Lancer. Honda have priced themselves out of the mainstream market in a bid for exclusivity.

    The Civic was smaller than a Corolla 15 years ago, now it's almost the same size as a Avensis in the saloon guise, Honda have gone on a serious premium brand build, but not premium enough to threaten the 5 big names, or even Saab and Volvo really.


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