Mitsubishi 380 - Sales, Reception and End of Australian Production

Sales, Reception and End of Australian Production

The 380 went on sale on October 13, 2005. It sold in fewer numbers than expected and on January 20, 2006, MMAL announced that voluntary redundancies would be offered to 250 production employees to bring production in line with customer demand. In March 2006 the manufacturing plant closed for three weeks.

On April 28, 2006, Mitsubishi announced price reductions with the introduction of the Series II upgrade. The entry model, now called the ES, was reduced from $34,490 to $27,990. An SX model was introduced, priced at $32,990, while the LS model was dropped. Prices on VRX, LX, and GT models were also reduced by amounts ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Mitsubishi announced that up to 1,500 retail customers who paid the old price would be eligible for a factory rebate of up to $2,000.

Mid-July 2007 saw the release of the 380 Series III, with range and price alterations designed to attract further sales and increase private buyer interest. The price of the ES model rose by $1000 but was compensated for by the addition of alloy wheels, fog lights and traction control.

MMAL was in negotiation with Proton of Malaysia on the possibility of exporting the 380 to Malaysia as the rebadged replacement of the Proton Perdana executive model, however this deal did not succeed.

The 380 received the 2005 Australia's Best Cars Large Car award, as well as Insurance Australia Group's rating as the most secure Australian family car, Safest Australian Car Built 2006 for its four-star ANCAP result, Best Fleet Car by Delivery Australia magazine, and Lowest Running Costs in the Australian Motoring Clubs Report. The 3.8 litre engine won an award for engineering excellence from the Society of Automotive Engineers.

In New Zealand, the Mitsubishi 380 is very similar to the Mitsubishi Galant marketed in Mexico, although it does not get the 4-cylinder models offered there.

On February 5, 2008 Mitsubishi Motors Australia announced that the Clovelly Park plant would be shut down on March 31, and Mitsubishi would pursue a "full import strategy" for the Australian market due to unviable 380 sales. The last Mitsubishi 380 sedan (a silver Platinum Limited Edition, body number 32044) left the production line on March 27, 2008. The car was auctioned in late April 2008, with the $100,000 final price being donated to charities chosen in consultation with the winning bidder, a car dealership based in Western Australia.

In October 2009, the president of Mitsubishi Motors, Osamu Masuko revealed in hindsight that it "was good that we closed the plant in March 2008 because this was the time the economy was still good and employees could find re-employment."