Automotive News Canada - June 2017 - v2 - 19

* JUNE 2017

MITSUMAKEOVER

A new look
for a future
with electric cars

Dealership design
makeover highlights
'technology
leadership'
By MICHAEL GOETZ
TORONTO CORRESPONDENT

THE FIRST NEW IMAGE
program for Mitsubishi dealerships since the brand arrived
in Canada in 2002 makes space
for the display of electric vehicles with its own look and feel:
distinct, but part of the overarching design makeover.
It "signals where we are
going as a company; that we're
going to be a leader in technology," says Mitsubishi Motor
Sales of Canada President
Tony Laframboise.
It's also about time, he said.
It was the main sentiment
expressed to him when MMSC
first consulted dealers about a
new image program.
"They were saying, 'yes,
we need to do this. We're on
board. We like the program
and we're excited about it.'"
Laframboise is bullish on
the pace of the five-year program. He expects more than
10 per cent of the country's 89
dealers to integrate the new
image by the end of 2017, and
80-90 per cent by 2020.
Rallye Mitsubishi, the country's top-volume Mitsubishi
outlet, is the first store to
pull off the new look as part
of its new 20,400-square-foot
(1,900-square-metre) facility in
Gatineau, Que.

STANDARD LOOK
There are 13 regulated
image elements to ensure
a consistent look for all
Canadian dealerships. They
include branded exterior signage, entrance gate, service
drive-through, LED lighting,

Inside Rallye Mitsubishi in Gatineau, Que., there's ample glass and wide flow between departments. Simplified interior design
also helps sight lines and provides more visible points of interest and interaction between staff and customers.
( P H O TO S : M I T S U B I S H I M O TO R S A L E S O F C A N A D A )

More product in the pipeline

Less emphasis on service desks and more on the service lane
and other areas allow staff to use tablets to write up repairs.
Parts and service departments are visible from the showroom
and customers can watch their vehicles being worked on.
There's a fast-charge EV station on the lot and one in the shop.

reception, customer lounge
and cafe, and furniture and
interior fixtures.

It signals where we are
going as a company;
that we're going to be
a leader in technology.
TONY LAFRAMBOISE

President, Mitsubishi Motor
Sales of Canada

The indoor service lane is a mandatory element and a nod to
weather in Canada. It's not used as much in U.S. stores.

Most dealerships will
retrofit the new look into
their existing facilities, but
Laframboise said there could
be more all-new builds as
MMSC looks to expand. A few
specific dealers could also
decide that the image makeover mandate presents the
right opportunity to go all-new.
R.H. Carter Architects Inc.
of Toronto created the image
design, modifying the global
image template developed by
Mitsubishi headquarters in
Japan. The R.H. Carter design
is specific to Canada, and different from the U.S. image program.
Laframboise says the key
themes of the design are:
clean, modern and simple, so
as to stay fresh for years; welcoming, transparent and comfortable for customers; affordable for dealers; communicates
Mitsubishi's technical expertise in electric propulsion
and all-wheel-drive systems;
and contributes to a greener
building and operation with
reduced energy costs.
"It's where we think we
should be in 2020 and beyond,"
says Laframboise. - ANC

WITH THE IMAGE PROGRAM TARGETED TO BE FULLY
implemented by 2020, it begs the question: What will
Mitsubishi Canada dealers sell in their shiny new stores
when 2020 arrives?
As one of the smallest automakers with mainstream
products, Mitsubishi is challenged to maintain the volume
and cadence of product launches offered by its larger competitors.
Mitsubishi recently announced it will focus its resources
on future utility vehicles and plug-in hybrids, and phase out
the current Lancer sedan.
According to the Automotive News Future Product
Pipeline for Mitsubishi, the 2020 lineup will be made up of
the following:

* MIRAGE: The subcompact hatchback and sedan (Mirage
G4), will have just received their respective mid-cycle
updates in 2019.
* RVR (OUTLANDER SPORT IN THE UNITED STATES):
The compact utility vehicle is rumoured to shrink to subcompact territory for its big redesign in 2018 (think Honda
HR-V and Chevy Trax), to slot below the new Eclipse Cross
utility vehicle.
* ECLIPSE CROSS: The new compact utility vehicle essentially replaces the Lancer sedan that's slated to ride off into
the sunset in Canada in early 2018. The Eclipse Cross PHEV
will use the same powertrain as the Outlander PHEV.
* OUTLANDER: By 2020, the midsize utility vehicle
should be flaunting its new redesign (scheduled
for 2019). A PHEV version was recently introduced and will also be part
of the Outlander family in 2020. The
Outlander PHEV will be the company's technology flagship and will
be displayed as such in remodeled
Mitsubishi showrooms across Canada.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - June 2017 - v2