Up to 12 months' wait for one of NZ's favourite cars

Friday, 30 December 2022

Mitsubishi's new Outlander brings some bold new styling cues to Mitsubishi signature look, as well as some advanced new technology.

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand has confirmed that those wanting to get their hands on a new Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid will have to wait up to 12 months for delivery if they place an order today.

The brand has published a statement on the homepage of its website as a pop-up.

The statement says wait times are currently six to 12 months minimum for plug-in Outlanders, depending on the model.

“Due to record customer demand for Outlander PHEV and global battery production constraints, you may have to wait a little longer than usual before driving home in your new Outlander PHEV,” reads the statement.

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“Depending on the model, the expected wait time for orders placed today is between 6–12 months,” it adds.

“Your local Mitsubishi Motors dealer will be able to talk you through your options and help you secure a place on the waitlist.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause as we try to work through these challenging global conditions.”

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand adds that the Outlander PHEV’s smaller sibling, the Eclipse Cross PHEV, is not impacted by the announcement.

The Outlander in its collective plug-in and pure combustion forms has been Mitsubishi’s most popular model in New Zealand this year, helping put the brand in the position to challenge Toyota New Zealand for the national passenger vehicle sales top spot for 2022.

Mitsubishi is one of several brands that continue to deal with global supply shortages having an impact on local stock arrival times.

There are similar waiting periods for the Outlander’s key rival, the Toyota RAV4.

Toyota New Zealand’s website states that most RAV4 variants are closed for 2023, with only a handful of next year’s allocation of models still available for a mid-2023 arrival.