Sales and marketing director Toby Marshall said the company had told dealers it was planning to grow its volumes by 33% compared to 2012 volumes, through new products such as the Mirage and Outlander, additional dealers and increased marketing spend facilitated by a more preferable exchange rate.

For the first 11 months of the year, sales are 42% up compared to the same period of 2012, at 8,281 units compared to 5,814, according to SMMT data. The plan is to reach 30,000 units within the next four years, maintaining its foothold in the pickup sector but by growing its passenger car share too.

The ASX crossover has just been refreshed, introducing the Mitsubishi-developed 2.2-litre diesel from the Outlander with an automatic gearbox – said to account for 19% of the segment’s sales. As well as improvements to NVH and ride quality, on-the-road prices have dropped between 9% and 10% across the range.

During 2014, the carmaker will also launch its first plug-in hybrid, based on the Outlander. This will offer all-electric four-wheel drive at up to motorway speeds using motors at each axle, high performance and London Congestion Charge-exempt low CO2 emissions at 44g/km. Mitsubishi Motors UK is targeting whole-life cost parity with the diesel model and considering commercial vehicle conversions too.

Sales of the Outlander PHEV are already underway in Japan and selected European countries, prioritising markets where subsidies mean demand is likely to be greatest – such as the Netherlands. Figures from automotive data specialist Eagle AID show it recorded 2,736 sales in the country during November, becoming the top-seller that month.