Mitsubishi Outlander, Triton topple Ford Ranger in January sales upset

The Motor Industry Association has released new vehicle registration figures from January, indicating a surprising name sitting on top of the sales sheets; Mitsubishi. 

Having enjoyed a solid 2021 on both sides of the Tasman, the three diamonds have hit the ground running in 2022 with a win straight off the bat. The Outlander and Triton were the country’s best-selling vehicles in January, and Mitsubishi also held the largest brand market share. 

In total, 1,188 Outlanders and 1,118 Tritons were registered in January. The Ranger was third, with 953 registrations, ahead of the Toyota Hilux (507), Nissan Navara (384), Hyundai Kona (304), MG ZS (302), Mitsubishi ASX (298), Kia Sportage (288), and Kia Seltos (268). 

Mitsubishi’s 2,814 registrations overall gave it a significant 21 per cent market share, with Ford and Toyota trailing behind on nine per cent each respectively. Months where Toyota isn’t leading market share are rare, as are months where just one of the brand’s nameplates cracks the top 10. 

It’s understood that numerous brands suffered through stock shortages in January, contributing to the somewhat unorthodox results. Mitsubishi is also continuing to sell existing stock of the outgoing Outlander, alongside the all-new Outlander that arrived in late 2021. 

“The market remains solid despite stock levels remaining low. Recent shipments of new vehicles have helped to alleviate some of the long wait lists for popular models, while other brands suffered from supply constraints,” says MIA chief executive David Crawford. 

Other notable results include the absence of the Tesla Model 3 from the overall top 15. The brand’s deliveries were known to fluctuate heavily in 2021, and it seems this is likely to continue into 2022. 

In the Model 3’s absence, the best-selling electric vehicle from January was the Hyundai Kona Electric (78), which headed the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (59). The MG HS PHEV, meanwhile, was the best-selling plug-in hybrid with 53 registrations, leading the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (46). 

Toyota’s apparent supply slump also saw a surprise leader in the hybrid category, with the Honda Jazz making a rare appearance as the country’s most popular hybrid, with 149 registrations of its e:HEV variant. The Toyota Yaris (87) and RAV4 (77) were second and third.