O'Brien Mitsubishi in Normal was one of the top dealers in the country in January. (WJBC file photo)

By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – It's a different year, but the beat continues for Mitsubishi Motors.

After seeing record numbers in 2014, the company reported 2015 has started just as strong with total sales jumping 33.4 percent in January compared to January 2014. That didn't surprise spokesman Dan Irvin. He said the auto market as a whole is "really strong" right now.

"Really, everybody is seeing increases," said Irvin. "I heard somebody say 'a rising tide raises all ships.' Thankfully, Mitsubishi is included in that."

The Twin Cities-built Outlander Sport had its best January sales month ever, with a jump of 23.3 percent compared to a year ago.

"O'Brien Mitsubishi here in Normal was the number five Mitsubishi dealer in the country and number two in Outlander Sport sales," said Irvin. "We really appreciate the local community supporting us by buying our vehicles."

Irvin saw no reason to expect anything but more of the same in February.

"February usually, relatively, is a really good month for us. It's usually better than January," he said.

The company has a new 2.4-liter engine for the Outlander Sport which will be hitting the dealerships in February. Irvin said the motor will provide more power and acceleration.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].