Mitsubishi’s December Surge: Global Vehicle Production Climbs 6.3% as 2025 Closes Strong

Another legacy automaker hits the gas—Mitsubishi just posted a solid year-end production bump. Forget the slow-and-steady narrative; this is about execution when it counts.

The Numbers Don't Lie

That 6.3% global production rise for December isn't just a statistic. It's a signal. While traditional finance analysts scramble to adjust their linear spreadsheets, the factory floors are telling a different story—one of scaling and meeting demand head-on.

Beyond the Assembly Line

This isn't about building more of the same. It's a logistical pivot, a supply chain flex. In an era where 'inventory' is a dirty word, increasing output without a corresponding drop in quality or dealer lot glut is the real trick. Mitsubishi seems to have pulled the lever.

The Bottom Line for Investors

Operational momentum is the only moaty that matters in a volatile market. A year-end production surge suggests inventory is moving, not collecting dust. It's a tangible, physical-world metric in a sea of speculative paper gains—a refreshing change from the usual earnings call theater where 'adjusted EBITDA' does all the heavy lifting.

One automaker's production line hums louder, proving that sometimes, the old-school metrics—like actually making more stuff—still pack a punch. Even if Wall Street would rather price in fantasy growth from a metaverse car dealership.

Mitsubishi expands EV push with new Eclipse Cross SUV for Europe

The company confirmed that Mitsubishi Motors Europe B.V. will start rolling out the new Eclipse Cross battery electric vehicle (BEV) before the end of 2025.

This model will be built at the Renault Group’s ElectriCity Douai plant in France under the OEM agreement between the two automakers. This follows earlier collaborations on the ASX compact SUV, the Colt hatchback, and the Grandis hybrid.

The new Eclipse Cross is fully electric, built on the CMF-EV platform, and designed with about 600 kilometers of range. It will ship with Google built-in features and what Mitsubishi describes as the latest safety tech.

The SUV features the company’s usual Dynamic Shield front-end design. Takao Kato, Mitsubishi’s CEO, said, “Following the launch of the Outlander plug-in hybrid EV and the Grandis hybrid EV, rolling out the all-new Eclipse Cross marks a crucial step in our electrification strategy in Europe.”

Kato also added that the company sees this as part of its mission toward carbon neutrality and is focused on expanding its electrified lineup to meet demand across Europe. He said Mitsubishi will keep offering different kinds of EVs to meet changing customer needs in each market.

Global annual production down, exports to North America up sharply

Even though December looked strong, the company’s full-year numbers told a different story. In 2025, Mitsubishi produced 883,828 vehicles globally, down 6.4% from 944,708 units the year before.

Domestic output slipped 2.1% to 471,467 units, and overseas production dropped even more, down 11% to 412,361 units. Japan sales for the year fell 1.3% to 117,896 units, and total exports dipped 2.9% to 227,760 units.

The company is betting that the upcoming EV launches in Europe will help turn things around. But it’s not just Mitsubishi making headlines.

Banking giant MUFG said it already hit 86% of its full-year profit forecast of 2.1 trillion yen, with no plans to revise the target. Smaller rivals Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group reported 12% and 14% profit growth, respectively. But Takayuki Hara, MUFG’s CFO, warned that possible policy changes after Japan’s next general election could impact their outlook.

Back to Mitsubishi, the FY2025 Q2 earnings showed a drop in underlying operating cash flow, down from ¥527.3 billion to ¥446.3 billion. Net income also shrank to ¥355.8 billion versus ¥618.1 billion in Q1 2025, due to weaker Australian coal market conditions and no major capital recycling gains like last time.

Still, both numbers were on track with the yearly plan. The ¥1 trillion share buyback also kept moving, with ¥578.2 billion already repurchased as of September 30.

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