Mitsubishi targets Holden owners with trade-in bonus

Mitsubishi Australia has launched a curious new trade-in bonus aimed squarely at Holden car owners.

Dubbed the ‘Holden Trade-In Bonus’, the promotion is designed to entice Holden owners into trading in their current car for a new Mitsubishi by throwing in a $1000 Mobile Pay Digital Prepaid Mastercard.

The Mastercard can only be redeemed (online) once a sales contract clearly identifying an eligible Holden trade-in vehicle has been finalised and signed.

Successful claimants will then be given a unique referral code they can pass onto friends and family to cite and receive an extra $250 bonus gift card for every “successful” referral – that is, one that ends in a sale.

Although it’s a national deal, the promotion could resonate loudly in South Australia, where Mitsubishi and Holden’s production plants were based before closing in 2008 and 2017 respectively – and where Mitsubishi’s headquarters are still located.

Mitsubishi Australia’s PR department didn’t want to discuss the initiative with carsales, but denied the promo was launched in response to the brand’s 29.3 per cent sales downturn (to the end of April).

Instead, the company said its sales fortunes this year were inextricably linked to ongoing global supply constraints.

“The sales figures are part of the ebb and flow of supply chain constraints; we talked last year about delivery cycles as an example,” a spokesperson said.

“Some months, we might receive a double delivery of a particular vehicle – Triton was a good example at the start of last year – but others might be delayed into the following month.

“Obviously the port congestion has also slowed things down, however we are thankful that we aren’t among the vehicles that are actually being quarantined ... but we do have to wait for those to be cleared to disembark.

“To try and speed up delivery, the business is actively working to deliver vehicles to less impacted ports and then commissioning ground transport to move vehicles interstate.”

Increased competition within key segments was also nominated as a potential contributor to the triple-diamond brand’s current sales decline.

Every new Mitsubishi model ranging from the ASX to the Triton is available through the Holden Trade-In Bonus, which will run until March 31, 2024.

Any registered and roadworthy Holden is eligible for the scheme and subject to the same conditions as any other viable trade-in outside of the promotion.

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