11 hours ago
12
Mitsubishi says the likes of the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ sports cars as proof there is no problem with rebadging the Renault Captur as its own – or similar arrangements with Nissan and iPhone maker Foxconn.
The boss of Mitsubishi Australia says the prospects of selling other companies' cars with a three-diamond badge on the bonnet and bootlid "shouldn't be overly concerning".
It will be followed by a Mitsubishi-branded electric car developed by the Taiwanese maker of the iPhone, Foxconn – and, in the US and possibly Australia, a Mitsubishi version of the new Nissan Leaf.
As it stands today, only half of Mitsubishi's confirmed future showroom line-up – the Outlander SUV, Triton ute, and next-generation Pajero Sport 4WD – would have significant Mitsubishi development input.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia CEO Shaun Westcott dismissed concerns with rebadging cars, telling Drive there is "a lot more [to it] than just the product."
His comments were made on a general level – not specific to one vehicle – and before news of the Nissan and Foxconn model-sharing deals went official, but after reports of the latter surfaced in overseas media.
"I was driving behind ... a Subaru [BRZ] sports car, and there was a Toyota [GR86] sitting right next to it and I was going, 'they're identical cars,'" Westcott said.
"The other day, I was driving behind a Holden [Nova from the 1980s], with a Holden badge. When I looked at it, I thought, 'that's the Toyota Corolla.'
"This has been happening for 30 or 40 years in the industry ... It has been happening for a long time, and each of those products has been successful in their own right.
"Whether it's a Subaru sports car or a Toyota sports car, each of them is successful in their own right, and I can use many other examples of that.
"So it's not new to the industry, and therefore shouldn't be overly concerning to anybody because there's a lot more than just the product that goes behind it, around the brand and its positioning, the size of its [dealer] network, its warranty and its aftersales support.
"There's a much bigger package than just the product."
The process of 'rebadging' – selling one car maker's model under another's badge – is common in the auto industry, as a way of expanding a manufacturer's line-up without developing an all-new vehicle.
Mitsubishi is no stranger to the practice, most recently offering the Renault Trafic van as the Express in Australia, albeit for only three years until 2021.
First to launch in the brand's new rebadged range is the next-generation ASX, which is based on the Renault Captur but with a different front bumper, grille and badges.
Limited details of the Foxconn-Mitsubishi partnership have been revealed so far, but it is believed the vehicle bound for Australia will be based on the Model B small SUV from the Taiwanese firm's Foxtron division.
It remains to be seen, however, how much differentiation there is between the new Mitsubishi and its Foxtron donor car.
Australia is yet to be confirmed for the Mitsubishi-branded Nissan Leaf, and it too is yet to be spotted testing to confirm how different it will be from the donor vehicle.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
