Mitsubishi to Market in Mexico With Daimler’s Aid

Mitsubishi Motors America Inc. said Monday that it will draw on its alliance with DaimlerChrysler to begin marketing Mitsubishi-brand vehicles in Mexico next year.

Mexican consumers purchase 900,000 new cars and light trucks a year, and the market is considered an important part of any auto maker’s North American expansion strategy.

Mitsubishi is riding high on three consecutive years of record sales and profit in the U.S. and has launched an aggressive expansion campaign that will see it begin Canadian sales next month.

The company’s North American growth strategy is “critical for Mitsubishi’s global ambitions,” said Steve Torok, Tokyo-based executive vice president of international car operations for Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

Mitsubishi will join Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Renault, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Volkswagen, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler among major car makers in the Mexican market.

Pierre Gagnon, Mitsubishi Motors America’s president and chief executive, said the company will launch Mexican sales in January with most of the same lineup it markets in the U.S.

The Mitsubishi cars and sport utility vehicles will be sold by a dealership group to be selected by DaimlerChrysler Mexico from its 122 Chrysler dealers, Gagnon said. The selected dealers will build separate showrooms adjacent to their existing Chrysler facilities.