Phillips and Boulay fight it out in a clash of words

[fpv_gtho]

Clash of the cardigans
By Toby Hagon
The Sydney Morning Herald
Friday March 19 2004

Have Magna sales stalled because of poor marketing or crook styling? Mitsubishi's local chief and its global design boss have locked horn buttons on the issue. Toby Hagon reports.
Mitsubishi executives on opposite sides of the world are at odds over the Magna's weakening sales. As Mitsubishi Australia approaches the April 30 deadline to decide the future of its local manufacturing operations, a war of words has broken out between the global design chief and the local boss.

Chief designer Olivier Boulay has blamed poor marketing for disappointing sales. Mitsubishi Australia president and CEO Tom Phillips blames Boulay's redesign.

"Styling is an issue," says Phillips. "About 30 percent of the people have an issue [with the new Magna's styling], but with the old model 90 percent of the people thought it was boring. Have we come forward or gone backward? I'm not sure."

Boulay is adamant the look is not to blame. "It's very easy to criticise design when other people have to make some efforts [but do not]," the Frenchman says.

"Do you think it's easy for us to try to save the company with an eight-year-old car? The marketing [department] has to make a huge effort. I don't think they did a bad job, but maybe they need more money."


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Boulay also cites the lack of investment dollars, which meant only a new nose could be designed for the facelifted car, with everything from the windscreen back largely unchanged visually.

"Unconsciously, people think ... that something could have happened with the rear [of the car]," says Boulay. "But there was no investment for that."

One thing that isn't in doubt is the disappointing sales of the Magna and its more luxurious Verada sibling. Just 2141 Magnas and Veradas have been sold in the first two months of this year, 21.6 percent down on the same period last year. Compare that with the 10,030 Falcons, 11,864 Commodores and 6032 Camrys and Avalons sold in the same period and it's easy to see why Mitsubishi is concerned.

"Maybe [the new look] is not translating well into a large car," says Phillips, "and maybe the fact that we tried to put it on an older platform doesn't work as well for everybody."

Boulay disputes that, saying the styling of the smaller Lancer works and has been well accepted. "If the Lancer -- which has the absolute same theme -- sells, then it is nothing to do with the design."

However, Phillips agrees Mitsubishi needs to improve its marketing, which is set to change following last week's appointment of advertising firm Clemenger BBDO. "We are confident that the capabilities of Clemenger BBDO will bring the ideas and creative inspiration we need."

Phillips admits Mitsubishi also suffered by not properly marketing its all-wheel-drive system -- the first on a locally made car -- and pitching the Magna at the wrong customers.

More significant is the possible replacement of the 19-year-old Magna nameplate to allow a fresh start for the company's proposed new large car. "This is not my responsibility but there are some discussions," says Boulay. Mitsubishi is pushing for global names -- which explains the revival of the Colt nameplate to replace the Mirage later this year -- and Galant is a possibility for the 2005 Magna replacement.

That's if there is a next large car. Boulay's comments come at a crucial time for Mitsubishi Australia, which is fighting to stay open as one of Australia's four vehicle manufacturers. More news about its future is expected after the April 30 meeting of shareholders, which include DaimlerChrysler.

Mitsubishi Motor Corporation's president, Rolf Eckrodt, recently described the future of the Australian operations as "on the edge". He later claimed he was talking about profitability rather than long-term viability. However, there was no room for a loss-making operation.

Phillips is adamant Mitsubishi Australia will continue longer term, with the Magna replacement still on track for next year.

"We've got a battle on our hands but we're going to get there," says Phillips.

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My verdict? Theyve pulled a Nasser-run Ford by creating a global styling theme that only works on small cars and is hideous on anything big (the focus and fiesta look great, the AU and Taurus were terrible), plus its not always the smartest decision having a Frenchman running your global designing

[SHAKER]

Quite simply its ugly although it looks modern, the rear looks its age compared to the new front design making it look like an old model car with a deplourable looking front end. It EVEN makes the AU Falcon look like an attractive car!!!!!!! Although I had no qualms about the styling of the front of the AU (Except for the XR8), It was the droopy rear end that turned most people away!

[fpv_gtho]

the AU though more often then not could be cured with a decent bodykit, although that didnt fix the problm as you cant just go fit a bodykit and spoiler to every damned model in the range. i actually like the styling of the old VRX's and think mitsubishi havent been daring enough with their sports styling. the VR and VRX magna look like the base model which is never a good thing

[Falcon500]

Persoanlly i thought all the car needed wasa freshen up of its current face rather then the Snake eyes front end shared with the laner...the magna is a more australain car then any other mitsu we ever had its styling while considerd ugly to some people (im notone of them i liked the older model) was it still soldfairly well...the probelm with the model is marketing as they said and lack of any frill from the range...sure the awd model performed well but most people stillwould ofthought it couldent pull the skin of a rice pudding a Dick Johnson would say....I think with the edition of a welltuned v6 or prehaps even a turbo 4 or v6 would of added some desperatly needed intrest plus if they had of shared the 5 speed auto across the range as well as a few doo dads...personally i think they just went about a versitile platform the wrong way....

[fpv_gtho]

Well they were supposedly coming out with a 200kw AWD Ralliart Magna but if that was released now it would yet again be overpriced and underpowered like the original Ralliart Magna which Mitsubishi tried to sell against the SS and XR8. Probably the next step would be a turbo kit but they've left it a bit late with the new platform coming 2005. The more i think about it, the more likely it is that bad marketing's to blame, as Toyota seem quite capable of selling the Camry which is still on the old platform unlike the American Camry, but to the Magna's defense, the Camry at least like a completely new model compared to the old one

[Falcon500]

Well the ralli art magna was quite a nice car...even if it was fwd (i think ) at the time...info is scarce and general public knew sweet nothing about it...and there was no image building for the car for example raceing it and giveing the i the big look it needed...they ended off just adverstising about the base model...funny how showing their flasgship models works better for ford and holden...i cant see why mitsu didnt do that it would of least given the public a look. Well the new platform if they can get the looks right the perforamnce right then maybey itll stabilise mitsu in this country which is what they need right now good stable sales and work from there...

[fpv_gtho]

well they claimed that it outran an SS and XR8 with a 6.71second dash to 100km/h, but the AU3 done 6.6 and the VX2 SS done about 6.4-6.5 so it mustve been them who got those figures. i think the ralliart also done a 14.8 quarter so it was no slouch

[Falcon500]

Conditions,perfect weather and even the slighest incline can make a large diffrence as far as a few tentchs went....but 14.8 is not bad in anyones book...ialso read that the magna engine is quite similarto the mitsu GTO engine so thay problyhave a fair few parts for them....

[fpv_gtho]

well 6.71 seems to be the best figure ive seen for the ralliart (wheels i think doe it around 7) but ive seen a best of about 6.3 for the SS and 6.4 for the XR8, both from motor. that 0.1 difference only gets noticed on a head to head drag though, not even noticeable in normal driving and watever but im sure the gap between them and the ralliart was a fair bit more noticeable.

well the engines are 3.0L DOHC and 3.5L SOHC so there could be similarities in the bore spacing, bore and block design which would lend them with some parts, but i dont think there wouls be too much there

[Falcon500]

Wellwith that a new platform that will more then likly have a heavily revised chassis and hopfully some performance upgrades might see a much more livly car...
Notacble...more then likly but it obviously has some top end to it comming home strongly on the 1/4 mile...prehaps we might se them in ARC...look what toyotas doing with the carolla...

[fpv_gtho]

well the 2004 Galant is supposedly the platform the 2005 Magna will be, but apparently the exterior will be nothing alike which could be a bad thing. the best chance mitsubishi will have with the magna though will be when it goes RWD.

[crisis]

The French guy is trying to save his ass. Money talks and no one is paying. In my opinion the front of the Magna is hideous. My wife had a company one home last night so I got a good eyeful . How serious was Mitsubishi if there was "no money for the rear end"? The front may suit a Lancer, but they a psuedo sporty girls cars. The Magna is a boring sedan for reps and middle aged men like me, and I dont like it. Mitsubishi will have a hard time positioning themselves next to Holden and Ford. Even the mighty Toyota knows that Avalons and Camrys are no match for the rear wheel drive staples that define Australian motoring culture in the eyes of the masses, despite their undeniable qualities.

[fpv_gtho]

well i'd be interested to see if Tom Phillips is the only one in Mitsubishi sticking the blame on Boulay. Apparently teh Americans hate it as well but they'll get the Galant before we get the new Magna so they shouldnt exactly complain as much

[Falcon500]

Well i was more thinking AWD for the rally....
A RWD magan thatll be good....
Crisis personallyand this is just (my own opion and i apologise in advance for the terminoligy im going to use) it took over chrysler as the old persons and wogs car...i base on the fact i hang out around the front counter at the commonwelth and the only people who come in and ask for parts for magnas tend to be elderly people and people of an ethnic backround also a mate of mine in the main delaership (whos an iatai) owned a magna said it was a great car where my brother drove one as a curtousy vehical while his ute was in the shop getting its diff replaced when it was the shock leaking...said it was bland, fuel ecconmy was worse then expected and smelt funny (though that might of been the hire company) which reminds me of stories of old where valients got similar raps compared to falcons and holdens...

[fpv_gtho]

well both RWD and AWD would be good, chuck in a V8 and the magna can go rallying or go in the V8 Supercars, although that last one i'd prefer for the moment they didnt. I dont know whether Ford and Holden secretly admit to themselves the advantages of FWD or whether its better to switch to FWD, or if Toyota and Mitsubishi do the same with RWD, but half of the Australian industry feeds is RWD is better whilst the other half tries to tell us FWD is better. If Mitsubishi want to get serious on local Magna sales, they seriosuly need a RWD car to appeal to the bulk of people