• Mitsubishi Motors East London has secured the 2025 Dealer of the Year Award.
• Mitsubishi Motors South Africa awarded dealers and dealership staff at an exciting awards ceremony.
• Mitsubishi Motors South Africa secured a regional award thanks to a strong performance by local dealers.

Johannesburg – Mitsubishi Motors South Africa has awarded dealers and selected dealership staff for strong performances across a variety of dealership roles.

The Mitsubishi Dealer of the Year awards recognise excellence across the brands dealerships and follow a comprehensive and ongoing evaluation process that measures a wide variety of aspects of dealer performance.

This includes factors such as sales volumes, the meeting of sales targets, parts sales, after sales business excellence and customer satisfaction.

“Our dealers are the lifeblood of our brand and many of them have been with us through challenging and prosperous times, continuing to represent the brand with passion and professionalism. We truly value the contribution that our dealer partners and their staff make to the ongoing growth of the exciting Mitsubishi Motors brand in South Africa,” says Francois Gultig (General Manager, Sales and Operations) at Mitsubishi Motors South Africa.

Collectively these efforts were recognised when Mitsubishi Motors South Africa was presented with the Top Performer award in the After Sales – Customer Experience category at the brands annual global after sales conference in Thailand. The award measures service excellence in comparison to that of dealers in other regions and against local competitors by way of a KANTAR Competitive Base CSI Program. This program measures performance by tracking customer satisfaction across the whole after sales service journey over a six-month period annually.

“In recent years Mitsubishi Motors SA have prioritised the relationship with our dealers by giving them the support they need to perform at their best. It gives us great pleasure to recognise the best performing dealers and sales executives as well as after sales role players that do their best day in and day out as the customer facing representatives of the Mitsubishi brand,” added Steven Terblans (General Manager Aftersales at Mitsubishi Motors SA).

The well deserving dealership winners

Dealers compete in various categories based on the size and location of the dealership with awards for retail sales, total units, fleet sales and exports. The best performing staff members are also celebrated.

In the sales vs retail sales category, Mitsubishi Motors The Glen, Mitsubishi Motors Mobeni and Mitsubishi Motors Empangeni were the best performers.

Mitsubishi Motors East Rand, Mitsubishi Motors East London and Mitsubishi Motors George sold the most retail units across the three categories of dealers.

The best performing Fleet sales dealers across the three categories were Mitsubishi Motors Umhlanga, Mitsubishi Motors Mobeni and Mitsubishi Motors Middelburg.

All these factors are taken into account for the overall Dealer of the Year award and regular winner, Mitsubishi Motors East London, clinched this prestigious title.

Outside of South Africa’s borders, Mitsubishi Motors Mozambique received the award for top regional partner, while Mitsubishi Motors Malawi  was recognized as the most improved dealer in the region. In addition, Mitsubishi Motors Zimbabwe was awarded most improved regional partner in the after-sales division, highlighting its exceptional performance among top-performing regional dealers.

Top performing individuals

The hotly contested sales executive award in the large dealer category was clinched by Megan Moonsamy from Mitsubishi Motors Umhlanga. Sharing the honours in the medium dealer category are Sipho Makuliwe from Mitsubishi Motors East London and James Motlanthe from Mitsubishi Motors Hatfield. The award is of particular significance for Motlanthe who enters retirement and ends a stellar career with this prestigious award. MG Laubscher from Mitsubishi Motors George walked away with the honours in the small dealer category.

As has become tradition Mitsubishi Motors SA also awards the personnel that keep customers cars running optimally in the workshops and at the parts counters of the respective dealerships.

Service Advisors Gerard Peterson and Jan Lottering from Mitsubishi Motors Menlyn and Natasha Slater from Mitsubishi Motors Kimberley were recognised with Diamond Service Awards for National and International CSI.

Parts Managers Grant Collinicos from Mitsubishi Motors Paarden Eiland, Lindiwe Mokoena from Mitsubishi Motors Bedfordview and Charmaine Werner from Mitsubishi Motors George received recognition for their contribution to keeping customers vehicles on the road.

The Service Managers from Mitsubishi Motors Menlyn, Mitsubishi Motors Bedfordview and Mitsubishi Motors Pietermaritzburg walked away with the laurels in this category.

An exciting time for Mitsubishi dealers

Mitsubishi dealer floors around the country are jam packed with new models including the exciting new Triton bakkie and stylish Outlander, while the Xpander Cross is set to roll onto showrooms soon.

“We look forward to working with our dealer network in launching and supporting these new products into the South African market by providing an exceptional sales experience and a hassle free after sales journey through our well-established dealer network,” concluded Gultig.

Dealer of the Year awards:

Sales Volume

• C-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors George
• B-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors East London
• A-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors East Rand

Sales percentage to target

• C-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors Empangeni
• B-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors Mobeni
• A-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors The Glen

Parts Managers

• C-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors George – Charmaine Werner
• B-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors Bedfordview – Lindiwe Mokoena
• A-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors Paarden Eiland – Grant Collinicos

Service Managers

• C-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors PMB – Terrence Moodley
• B-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors Bedfordview – Victor Thom
• A-sized dealers – Mitsubishi Motors Menlyn – Kallie Landsberg

Service Advisor

• Natasha Slater – Mitsubishi Motors Kimberley
• Jan Lottering – Mitsubishi Motors Menlyn
• Gerard Peterson – Mitsubishi Motors Menlyn

Sales Executive

• Megan Moonsamy – Mitsubishi Motors Umhlanga
• Sipho Makuliwe – Mitsubishi Motors East London
• James Motlanthe – Mitsubishi Motors Hatfield
• MG Laubscher – Mitsubishi Motors George

Best Export Dealer

Mitsubishi Mozambique

Mitsubishi Zambia

Most improved Export Dealer

Mitsubishi Malawi

Overall Dealer of the year

Mitsubishi Motors East London

• The updated Mitsubishi Pajero Sport gains an updated dynamic shield front grille, redesigned under garnishes and new 18-inch wheels.
• The interior has been updated with a new 8-inch fully digital driver display and a redesigned steering wheel.
• Safety and convenience have been bolstered with the addition of the Ultrasonic Mis-acceleration System and a Multi Around Monitor.

JOHANNESBURG – Mitsubishi Motors South Africa has treated the much respected Pajero Sport to a significant facelift that includes an enhanced design, improved technology and additional safety features in line with modern customer requirements. These updates come without a change in pricing, further bolstering the value for money proposition of the Pajero Sport.

The facelifted Pajero Sport continues Mitsubishi Motors South Africa’s strategic product recalibration that commenced with the successful recent launch of the Next-Gen Triton, which retained its price positioning despite major platform upgrades as well as the Outlander Sport, which replaced the ASX at the same price point.

“The latest iteration of Pajero Sport is much more than a facelift, it’s further proof of how we’re recalibrating our entire range in sync with the ever-evolving automotive landscape. In an extremely price sensitive market, we are meeting customer expectations by delivering more value for money whilst entrenching our commitment to reliability, intelligent engineering and no-nonsense quality,” says Jeffrey Allison, General Manager Marketing for Mitsubishi Motor South Africa (MMSA).

A refreshed exterior

The Pajero Sport continues to offer an unmistakable SUV character that is accentuated by strong, flowing lines and rugged, high-quality durable finishes.

The latest design evolution includes an updated dynamic shield front grille that offers a more assertive presence, and which compliments the redesigned front and rear under garnishes. The updated Mitsubishi Pajero Sport rides on new 18-inch alloy wheels, featuring a modern SUV design.

A remastered cockpit

The interior features numerous updates including a new eight-inch fully digital driver display. A redesigned steering wheel offers a more modern and tactile driving feel while still incorporating steering wheel controls. A new black ceiling headliner ensures an overall more premium cabin aesthetic.

The interior of all models continues to represent comfort and luxury thanks to standard specification highlights that include black leather seats, dual zone climate control with rear vents and Mitsubishi’s advanced smartphone-link display audio (SDA) connected to a large eight-inch touchscreen, a sunroof, remote control connectivity, an electronic tailgate and a keyless operating system.

A drivetrain with a proven track record

All Mitsubishi Pajero Sport models are powered by the tried and tested Mitsubishi MIVEC 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, intercooled, turbodiesel engine. This powerplant offers 133kW and 430Nm and drives the wheels through an advanced eight-speed automatic transmission. In practice this drivetrain offers smooth acceleration and low-rpm, high-speed cruising that enhances driving efficiency.

Making the Pajero Sport a true Pajero is Mitsubishi’s renowned Super Select 4WD-II system. Paired with the ladder frame chassis on 4×4 derivatives it ensures consistent ability across challenging conditions and rugged terrain. Four selectable off-road functions include 2H, 4H, 4HLc (4WD High range with centre diff locked) and 4LLc (4WD Low range with centre diff locked).

Gravel, Mud/Snow, Sand or Rock modes tailor engine output, transmission settings and braking according to the conditions underfoot, reinforcing the model’s strong off-road pedigree.

Additional safety and convenience

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has always offered the safety needed for daily family chores or weekend adventures and these credentials have been further bolstered by the latest smart technology. Additions include the Ultrasonic Mis-acceleration Mitigation System (UMS) that ensures added safety in tight spaces by preventing accidental acceleration at low speeds. A Multi Around Monitor has also been added, ensuring improved visibility when parking and manoeuvring.

The inherent safety of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport range is built on the foundation of the Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety) body construction and bolstered by seven airbags and ISOFIX child seat anchors. Active safety features include active stability and traction control (ASTC), an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), and an emergency brake assist system (BAS).

The safety package is rounded off by hill-start assist (HAS), trailer stability assist, auto levelling dusk-sensing LED headlights, front foglamps, daytime running lights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, rear park distance control, a rear-view camera and hill descent control which takes the fuss out of descending steep off-road descents.

A beefed-up value proposition

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is unique, it combines the legendary off-road ability, for which the Pajero nameplate is renowned, with family friendly functionality. The latest round of updates accentuates those qualities while further bolstering its incredible value for money proposition.

“All these enhancements come with no change to the selling price of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, ensuring that this popular enthusiasts model remains an excellent choice in the adventure SUV category, while representing unquestionable value for money,” concludes Allison.

A three-model range

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport range now consists of three derivatives that are positioned to deliver maximum value to customers without compromising on its unrivalled quality and legendary off-road DNA.

Pricing

All Mitsubishi Pajero Sport models are sold with a three-year/100 000 km manufacturer’s warranty, a five-year/90 000 km service plan and five-year roadside assistance. Service intervals are set at every 10 000 km.

• Mitsubishi Motors SA was awarded as the regions best performing distributor in the After Sales – Customer Experience category.
• A consistently high after sales performance has resulted in a third consecutive award in this category.
• The survey measures a variety of customer engagements in the after sales journey.

Thailand – Mitsubishi Motors South Africa was presented with the Top Performer award in the After Sales – Customer Experience category at the brands recent annual global after sales business excellence awards ceremony in Thailand. The award measures service excellence in comparison to that of dealers in other regions.

Over the past five years Mitsubishi Middle East and Africa has challenged their distributors to achieve the top three status in their respective country when measured against the top competitor brands in their respective markets.

The KANTAR Competitive Base CSI Program was launched to measure this performance by tracking customer satisfaction across the whole after sales service journey over a six-month period annually.

In addition to measuring performance, the programme is also designed to instil an impact-based customer experience action plan which positively influences the customer journey.

Mitsubishi Motors SA far exceeded the target of a top three. For the third consecutive year Mitsubishi Motors South Africa has secured the number one position in South Africa. MMSA are also the only country in the MMME region to accomplish this.

“This result and our consistent performance over the last three years is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the MMSA team as well as our entire dealer network, who continuously work hard at improving service levels and making each and every service experience memorable, during their interactions with our valued customers,” says Steven Terblans (General Manager Aftersales at Mitsubishi Motors SA).

Attributes measured include service initiation, service advisor, in-service experience, vehicle pick-up, service quality and digital aspect. An in-depth survey focusses on all the customer touch points under each of these attributes.

The comprehensively structured programme tracks improvement at each attribute level, with different weightings according to the importance of the attribute to the customer, which assists with isolating the brand effect.

“While this programme is a great way of measuring ourselves against our peers in different markets, more crucially it allows us to continually refine our service to our customers,” says Jeffrey Allison, General Manager Marketing for Mitsubishi Motors South Africa.

“Surveys and programmes like this are extremely valuable as they allow us to recognise our strengths, allowing us to maintain, invest and build on those characteristics. We are also always looking for ways to improve and the feedback received from this programme is vital in this journey as it gives us indirect feedback from our customers allowing us to identify areas where our service levels still need refining,” concludes Allison.

Mitsubishi Motors SA are in the midst of a complete range revitalisation. The Triton and Outlander were recently launched in SA and customers can look forward to exciting new model launches throughout the year, including the arrival of the much-anticipated Xpander Cross.

• Mitsubishi Motors SA are continuing their product rollout with the launch of the all-new Outlander Sport.
• The Outlander Sport blends modern design with practicality and Japanese engineering.
• Since its global reveal, the Outlander Sport has already racked up numerous international awards.

JOHANNESBURG – Mitsubishi Motors South Africa are expanding their compact SUV offering with the introduction of the all-new Outlander Sport.

The new Outlander Sport has been designed with a strong focus on the way that compact SUVs are used. The all-new model is ready to uplift the owner’s everyday life with its stylish yet robust, authentic SUV styling, as well as comfort and practicality.

The Outlander Sport also promises Mitsubishi’s best in-cabin experience ever, bolstered by a multimeter and avionics, four driving modes, active yaw control, ambient lighting and a large monolithic display paired with Dynamic Sound Yamaha Premium. 

“Following the recent launch of the next-gen Mitsubishi Triton, the Outlander Sport continues Mitsubishi’s extensive model roll out which is set to gain momentum in 2025,” says Jeffrey Allison, General Manager: Marketing at Mitsubishi Motors South Africa (MMSA).

The entire vehicle design is based on Mitsubishi’s Silky & Solid concept and incorporates an exterior that is stylish yet powerful while retaining the authentic SUV design.

“The Outlander Sport is our answer to the popular compact SUV segment, and we believe that its stylish, contemporary  styling mixed with excellent comfort and practicality as well as a variety of class leading tech makes it a great addition to the local Mitsubishi line up. Mitsubishi aims to offer customers modern vehicles that suit the requirements of today’s customers while leveraging our legendary reputation of durability and real off-road pedigree,” says Allison.

The Outlander Sport offers a stylish contemporary design

The all-new Outlander Sport boasts a stylish contemporary design that has garnered this model numerous prestigious design awards including a 2024 iF Design award, a 2023 Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion as well as a VMARK Vietnam Design Award. In addition the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was recently named Best Compact SUV at ARABCOTY.

Upfront the Dynamic Shield front face has evolved in line with the design concept and now consists of left and right bumpers that protect the front grille. The front grille is three-dimensionally integrated to create a sporty front face with a sense of depth. LED daytime running lights combine an L-shape with slotted accents to emit light in an iconic T-shape, making the SUV instantly recognisable as a Mitsubishi, while emphasising the wide stance.

The upper portion of the body expresses an airiness thanks to a floating roof and a sleek surface that begins with the three-diamond emblem up front and flows along the side to the rear.

The lower part of the body adopts the solid and powerful proportions of an SUV, accentuated by muscular fender flares that express the agility of an athlete. Rich muscular surfaces combine with front and rear sculpted fender flares and character lines to express the strength and dynamism of the SUV. At the rear the same T-shape is adopted for the LED taillights, which contributes to a wide and stable look.

Sophisticated, cutting-edge interior

Similarly the interior is sophisticated with a cutting-edge feel, characterised by a modern design and the use of avant-garde materials while maximising the available space.

The instrument panel has been designed based on the Horizontal Axis concept. This ensures increased forward visibility allowing drivers to easily navigate rough terrain. The dynamic form of the instrument panel that runs all the way to the door trim creates an open, spacious area.

A large monolithic display panel integrates a 12.3-inch Smartphone-link Display Audio system. With multi-widget function, the screen is divided into three sections allowing the display of various information on a single screen. GL and GLS models are fitted with an 8-inch version of this system.

While offering the freedom to customise the display with preferred content the three-tier display pays homage to the triple meter that was fitted to the legendary Pajero and offers information including altitude, tilt angle and direction.

Ahead of the driver an 8-inch digital driver display expresses a cutting-edge feel. This display offers a wide variety of content on a large screen. When the driver switches drive modes, a graphic indicating the selected mode is shown in the centre of the display, making it easy to intuitively select the drive mode. GL and GLS models feature a 4.2-inch multi-information display.

Contrary to its body size the Outlander Sport offers a roomy interior space that enables all passengers to relax while on board and versatile storage spaces are scattered throughout the cabin. Upfront a top-class seating space including a spacious shoulder area has been secured to enhance comfort. Seats provide both support and comfort, preventing lateral body movement in situations such as lane changes and when travelling on rough roads, while enabling passengers to relax comfortably even in traffic jams.

In the rear, designers paid careful attention to creating a space that allows a comfortable ride even when carrying three passengers. The rear seats boast best in class legroom. In addition, with eight-levels of reclining adjustment, the seats accommodate a wide range of needs, including angles that allow passengers to relax or angles that maximise cargo carrying capacity.

For the first time in a Mitsubishi, a melange fabric has been used for the padding of the instrument panel, providing a sense of enclosure by the continuous coverage up to the door trim. This highly practical fabric exudes modernity and sophistication creating a comfortable space in which passengers can relax as if they are in their own living room. This innovative material is made up of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic resins which resist dirt adhesion, and which also makes it easy to clean as dirty simply wipes away.

Additional innovative features include Mitsubishi Motors’ first driving score function providing real world driver feedback, developed in conjunction with Hiroshi Masuoak, a former two-time Dakar Rally champion. Weblink allows users to connect their smartphone and project applications onto the large display.

Passenger comfort is ensured by dual-zone automatic air conditioning and a rear air vent while nanoe X removes odours and improves interior air quality. A console tray with wireless chargers and Type-A and Type-C USB ports facilitate charging of various mobile devices. A hands-free power tailgate assists with easier loading of bulky items.

A hi-fi experience courtesy of Yamaha

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Exceed is equipped with Dynamic Sound Yamaha Premium, which was developed in collaboration with the Yamaha Corporation. The class leading system includes eight speakers, with front tweeters on the A-pillars, woofers in the front doors and coaxial two-way speakers in the rear doors. Volume and sound quality are adjusted according to vehicle speed and offers passengers well defined mids and highs along with dynamic bass. The system also offers four sound types that can be selected according to musical taste and mood – Lively, Signature, Powerful and Relaxing.

A frugal yet powerful drivetrain

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is powered by a proven 1.5-litre DOHC 16-valve MIVEC engine offering 77kW at 6 000rpm and 141Nm at 4 000rpm. This powerplant is paired to a high-efficiency CVT offering low fuel consumption and quietness.

Engineering excellence included

The Outlander Sport is offered as a two-wheel drive but leverages Mitsubishi’s expertise with regards to off-road pedigree, to achieve excellent handling for an SUV. This is bolstered by four drive modes, including Normal, Wet, Gravel and Mud which allow the vehicle to seamlessly handle a variety of road conditions. The integration of Active Yaw Control adjusts drive between the wheels to improve controllability, traction control, engine control and power steering control.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport rides on MacPherson strut suspension upfront along with a torsion beam set up at the rear and features discs brakes all round. Well-tuned suspension has been specifically developed for ASEAN roads, making it well suited to South African conditions.

Class leading ground clearance of 222mm ensures that the Outlander Sport is able to traverse even the roughest roads with confidence. Approach and departure angles of 21.0 degrees and 30.5 degrees respectively reinforce its outdoor DNA.

Advanced safety features

Advanced safety equipment includes Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. All models feature driver and passenger airbags as well as seat mounted side airbags. Aspire and Exceed models add a side curtain airbag to the suite.

Model offering

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport will be offered with one engine and transmission option and four well-equipped specification grades.

GL and GLS models are characterised by black PVC with black stitching or a fabric grey interior with grey accents and ride on 17-inch wheels.

Aspire models are fitted with the melange fabric with mocha stitching or synthetic leather with mocha accents while additional specification includes 18-inch wheels and a drive mode selector with four modes.

The top of the range Exceed derivative features the melange fabric with mocha stitching or synthetic leather with mocha accents.

“Mitsubishi Motors SA believe that the Outlander Sport offers a great balance of performance, practicality and modern styling to ensure that it will be a popular choice amongst customers who seek a high-quality compact SUV,” concluded Allison.

Pricing

Mitsubishi Motors South Africa is proud of an incredible in warranty claim rate of less than 1% which has allowed the brand to offer customers exceptional warranty coverage on the new Outlander Sport.

All Mitsubishi Outlander Sport models are sold with a three-year/45 000km service plan as well as a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty as standard.

Outlander Sport 1.5 GL CVT                              R429 990

Outlander Sport 1.5 GLS CVT                            R449 990

Outlander Sport 1.5 Aspire CVT                         R479 990

Outlander Sport 1.5 Exceed CVT                        R499 990