Mitsubishi Australia will have a new chief in 2026 as it looks to capitalise on a raft of new models in local showrooms, led by the new ASX small SUV and a more capable Outlander PHEV.
Shunichi Kihara has been confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL), effective January 5, 2026.
Mr Kihara will come into the role after serving as the Assistant Division General Manager of the Japanese automaker’s North Asia Division, and replaces interim MMAL CEO Yoshinori Yamazaki.
The incoming CEO has also held global sales roles at Mitsubishi.
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“I’m delighted to accept the position of CEO at MMAL and look forward to meeting you when I arrive in Australia,” Mr Kihara said in a statement.
“Mitsubishi Motors has been a strong and trusted brand in Australia for 45 years, and together we will build on that legacy to drive it into the future.”
The change at the top comes after Shaun Westcott, who led MMAL for five years including as chairman until 2024, resigned in September.
A number of fresh models will see Mr Kihara look to grow Mitsubishi’s market share here, including the recently launched ASX – based on the Renault Captur – and the updated Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) due on sale here early next year.
Sales are down 16.3 per cent year-to-date, yet Mitsubishi is still outperforming rivals including sister Alliance brands Renault (-16.5 per cent) and Nissan (-17.7 per cent), and Volkswagen (-19 per cent).
Mitsubishi remains a top 10 brand in Australia, placing sixth in October 2025 sales with help from the Triton ute, which forms the basis of the new Nissan Navara and was its best-seller for the month.
It sits sixth overall year-to-date on 52,364 sales, behind Hyundai (64,861) and ahead of GWM (43,774) – after placing fifth for the full year in 2024.
Year-to-date, the Outlander remains its most popular model, and there’s a larger battery pack coming as part of the facelifted electrified mid-size SUV in early 2026.
In North America, Mitsubishi launched a more rugged version of the Outlander as a rival to the Subaru Outback, which could also become part of the Australian lineup, although this has not been confirmed.
Model sharing with Nissan may also see the next-generation Nissan Patrol off-road SUV sold as a Pajero to give Mitsubishi a legitimate Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series rival.
A potential replacement for the Pajero Sport was shown at the 2025 Japanese Mobility Show in Tokyo last month, too, while the company is also looking to add hybrid tech to models including the ASX and Triton, and to launch its first new-generation EV, a small electric SUV, in the second half of next year.
