UK SALES JANUARY - Mitsubishi see's an increase of nearly 42% on last year, giving them a great start.

Retail passenger car sales for Mitsubishi are up 41.9 per cent in January compared to last year, against a market increase of 7.9 per cent, according to figures released today by the SMMT. Mitsubishi has been the UK’s fastest growing car brand for the last three years, and looks set for another record year in 2016.

Toby Marshall, Sales and Marketing Director said: ‘We launched two major new models in 2015, which are contributing to our sustained sales performance. The business is growing rapidly, with the appointment of new dealers and more exciting new models on the way.’

The new L200 Series 5 has taken a huge 40.8 per cent of retail sales in the pick-up market for January. Retail sales for the newly designed Outlander PHEV are up 95 per cent year on year, now accounting for 40 per cent of all plug-in vehicle sales.

The announcement that the plug-in car grant will reduce from £5,000 to £2,500 for plug-in hybrid vehicles bought after 1 March, 2016 has also brought increased interest in the Outlander PHEV from buyers looking to beat the deadline.

The Government’s plug-in car grant scheme allows for a nine-month delivery period, which was introduced to allow for car companies’ different lead times. This means vehicles ordered before the end of February 2016 will still qualify for the full £5,000 plug-in car grant, even if they are not delivered and paid for until November 2016.