Mitsubishi is set to overtake Kia as the warranty leader in Australia – with one condition.
The brand is planning to improve its current five-year warranty to an industry-leading 10 years or 200,000km for private and business owners with fewer than five vehicles and who maintain their cars in the Mitsubishi Australia dealer network as part of its capped-price service program.
Provided it’s approved by the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC), the longer warranty will come into force on October 1, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Mitsubishi Motors in Australia.
Owners who choose to have their car serviced by an independent mechanic will still get the brand’s current five-year warranty or the seven-year warranty it offers as part of periodic sales promotions, but not the full 10-year deal.
“This new 10-year extended warranty puts owners in control,” said Mitsubishi Motors director of marketing and operations, Rob Nazzari.
“Every Mitsubishi already has at least a five-year warranty. Now, with our 10-year Diamond Advantage program, owners that complete their scheduled capped-price services with an authorised Mitsubishi Dealer will enjoy a 10-year warranty, 10-year capped price servicing and up to four years of roadside assistance.”
Currently, the longest new-car warranty in Australia is the seven years started by Kia, and now offered by SsangYong and MG.
Honda has also offered seven years as part of sales promotions but hasn’t committed to making the longer coverage permanent.
Although it’s longer than the five- or seven-year coverage becoming common in the mainstream market, the proposed Mitsubishi warranty would be the only one requiring owners to stay within the dealer network.
Five years is now the norm for Australia’s best-selling brands, while even luxury brand Mercedes-Benz has since adopted the five-year warranty – although premium rivals BMW and Audi haven’t yet moved from their three-year terms.
Year-to-date, Mitsubishi is the fourth best-selling brand in Australia, behind only Hyundai, Mazda and market leader Toyota. Those brands all have a range of passenger cars, however, while Mitsubishi offers just one: the Mirage.
Like Nissan, Mitsubishi focuses predominantly on SUVs and utes. Its small ASX SUV is currently Australia’s best-selling small SUV while its Triton ute is the third best-selling 4×4 ute.
