Mitsubishi is moving ahead with its plans to build a sub-network of Ralliart specialist dealers. In the face of Toyota's U-turn on similar plans for TRD, the South Australian based full line importer says it will continue with its strategy to limit dealer access to the performance focused Mitsubishi models.

Ralliart is Mitsubishi's 'halo' performance brand. Though currently the sole Ralliart model available Down Under is the 1.5-litre turbocharged Ralliart Colt, Mitsubishi will roll out sedan and hatch versions of a 177kW/343Nm all-wheel drive Ralliart Lancer before the end of 2008 (more here). In addition, the marque's top-of-the-range performance car, the Lancer Evolution was launched locally last week.

Mitsubishi's total dealer network comprises around 240 dealers. Of these 80 are now Ralliart specialists, however, only 42 of these are certified to sell Lancer Evolution.

Mitsubishi Australia's Manager Ralliart and Motorsport, Richard Emery, told the Carsales Network that dealer growth had been staged to date. Any further growth in Ralliart dealer representation would also be a staged process. He ruled out following Toyota's whole-of-network lead.

"We will be taking it [growth of dealer representation] one step at a time," Emery told the Carsales Network at last week's launch of the Evolution range (more here).

"At this point in time, the first phase was very much about making sure that the dealerships [chosen] had the best infrastructure, the best commitment to customer satisfaction, [and] were the ones that... we felt were best prepared to handle the customers in the manner they need to be handled.

"With the [imminent] widening of the product range, obviously the dealers' market opportunity increases, so there were some geographical market opportunities that we needed to expand into," says Emery.

"What is the optimum amount within our network of around 200 dealers [going forward]? There's probably 50 or 60 dealers who probably wouldn't want it -- irrespective of its availability -- because of the investment in terms of stock and marketing and all those sorts of things... But I think it [dealer numbers] may well edge up a bit as new models come on line," Emery opined.

As noted above, not all Ralliart dealers are also Evolution dealers. Mitsubishi CEO and President, Rob McEniry -- a passionate performance car fan in his own right and one of the driving forces behind the birth of Holden Special Vehicles -- says the 'elite' among the Ralliart specialists is built around a set of criteria related to the vehicle and its target customers. He also disputes the Ralliart/TRD comparison.

"It's [dealer selection] even tailored around the Evolution itself. The experience the customer expects with these vehicles -- particularly with the Evolution -- is different to the example that you gave [Toyota's TRD models] which is a very broad base, quick, and frankly, not well developed strategy," McEniry opined.

"We see an advantage in making the [customer] experience very special -- particularly for the Evos. From a servicing point of view, an Evo customer expects a little more. We have expectations of a certain level of investment and presentation of the Evos... And, for that matter, the Ralliart models across that range.

McEniry says these requirements don't go as far as "wall changes" but dealers will include Ralliart-specific sections of their showrooms.

"We also wanted to make sure that while we built this [Ralliart model range] up there was a critical mass in those vehicles [available] to make it profitable for the dealers to support us in our strategy.

"It's [the Ralliart dealer network] been geographically targeted to cover the volume market and to give that special experience," he said.

McEniry says opportunities in parts, merchandising, customer clubs and events will also drive the strategy.

"The other part of it is that it does open the door for some other opportunities we're looking at in terms of the family of Ralliart dealers and what they may be able to do as a collective group in other aspects of the motor industry down the track. So there's some logic in what we did instead of just a shotgun approach," McEniry said.

In terms of new Ralliart product, Emery says the Ralliart Lancer models will be a big opportunity for the brand. There's also a 'freshened' Colt on the way later this year. This is tipped to see some spec changes to make it more price competitive in the segment, though Emery says there'll be no downgrading of its performance.

Further away a Ralliart version of the Outlander (dubbed Evolander in some circles) is on the wishlist... Along with a warmer, version of Triton perhaps?

Not surprisingly, neither Emery, nor McEniry, will confirm the vehicles' existence.

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