Guangqi Mitsubishi hopes to sell Chinese-made vehicles in the future

The upcoming Guangqi Mitsubishi joint venture, which is to be established this June, is currently mulling on how to manage its new sales network, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on April 18. After gaining approval, the network will be responsible for sales of imported Mitsubishis in the country, and later Chinese-made models.

According to schedule, Guangqi Mitsubishi will begin manufacturing the ASX crossover (pictured above) this October. The joint venture expects to begin domestic production of the Pajero Sport (pictured below) next year. However, whether or not the JV will manufacture the two most popular Mitsubishi models in China, the Outlander and Pajero SUVs, in the country is something that remains to be seen. Although domestic manufacture of these two vehicles would most likely result in lower prices and increase sales, the JV's import division would lose a significant source of its profits.

Guangqi Mitsubishi hopes to introduce five to six models by 2017, in order to fulfill its annual target of 300,000 sales. In addition to expanding its model lineup, the JV will also research on how to maximize the efficiency of its sales network. According to reports, the JV hopes to have near 300 dealers in operation five years from now. Currently, there are only around 50 import Mitsubishi dealers in the country. If those dealers wish to sell Chinese-made models in the future, they first need to gain official approval from Guangqi Mitsubishi. Several Beijing dealers are reportedly planning to apply to Guangqi Mitsubishi for sales rights. If their applications are successful, they will be able to sell the domestically made Mitsubishis alongside their imported vehicles.