As a result of falling sales for the brand, Mitsubishi Motors is looking at making changes to the way it conducts its business in the European market.

Mitsubishi will move about 45 percent of its white-collar roles such as Sales, Marketing, Business Planning and Product Management to Japan. Remaining functions of the company will be overseen by 34 distributors.

The Planning, Logistics, Human Resources and Finance division will remain in place in Europe.

Under the new company’s new approach to the European market, smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles will become the brand’s core focus. SUVs will still feature in the company’s offerings, but as more of a niche-oriented large-car lineup.

Already Mitsubishi has moved its European Design and Engineering divisions back to Japan. Remaining operations will soon be relocated to Born, near the Company’s NedCar manufacturing facility in the Netherlands.

Despite solid earnings between 2003 and 2007, Mitsubishi sales in Europe dropped from 200,045 to 164,462 in the 2007-2008 period.