Mitsubishi Australia will have a new boss in 2026 as it looks to capitalize on a range of new models in local showrooms, led by the new ASX small SUV and a more powerful Outlander PHEV.
Shunich Kihara has been confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (Mal) effective January 5.
Mr. Kihara will take on the position after previously serving as assistant division general manager of the Japanese automaker’s North Asia division, replacing interim MMAL CEO Yoshinori Yamazaki.
The new CEO also held global sales roles at Mitsubishi.
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“I am pleased to accept the role of CEO at MMAL and look forward to meeting you upon my arrival 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 this heritage to take the company 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.
Mr Kihara will look to expand Mitsubishi’s market share here with a range of new models, including the recently launched ASX – based on the Renault Captur – and the updated Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle), due to launch here early next year.
Sales are down 16.3 percent year-to-date, yet Mitsubishi is still outperforming competitors, including the Alliance’s sister brands Renault (-16.5 percent) and Nissan (-17.7 percent) and Volkswagen (-19 percent).
Mitsubishi remains a top 10 brand in Australia, taking sixth place in October 2025 sales with the help of the Triton ute, which forms the basis of the new Nissan Navara and was its best seller this month.
With 52,364 sales since the beginning of the year, it ranks sixth overall, which puts it behind Hyundai (64,861) and before companion (43,774) – after fifth place for the full year 2024.
Year-to-date, the Outlander remains its most popular model, and a larger battery pack will arrive in early 2026 as part of the revamped electrified midsize SUV.
In North America, Mitsubishi launched a more rugged version of the Outlander to compete with the Subaru Outback, which could also become part of the Australian lineup, although this has not yet been confirmed.
Sharing models with Nissan could also see the next-generation Nissan Patrol off-road SUV sold as the Pajero, giving Mitsubishi a legitimate competitor to the Toyota LandCruiser 300 series.
A possible replacement for the Pajero Sport was also shown at the 2025 Japanese Mobility Show in Tokyo last month, while the company also plans to add hybrid technology to models such as the ASX and Triton and launch its first new-generation electric vehicle, a small electric SUV, in the second half of next year.
MORE: Explore the Mitsubishi showroom
