Mitsubishi Hopes 3 New Lines Will Boost Sales

Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America is launching three new models this year and expects the new cars to boost sales by almost 23%. The company, which imports and distributes Mitsubishi cars and trucks nationally, sold 187,000 vehicles in 1996, a decline of 5.5% from 1995.

Officials expect sales of existing models to stay flat in 1997. But in remarks at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month, Kevin Ormes, Mitsubishi Motor Sales’ group vice president of sales and marketing, said the new models could add substantially to the company’s annual performance.

Mitsubishi Motors expects to sell about 35,000 of its new 1997 Montero Sport sport-utility vehicles, about 12,000 to 15,000 of the reintroduced Diamante luxury cars and about 18,000 Mirage four-door sedans, Ormes said.

John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations and manufacturers for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at john.odell@latimes.com