Mitsubishi Motors Canada Launches AI-Powered "Intelligent Companion" to Transform the 2025 Outlander Buying Experience

Rhea-AI Summary

Mitsubishi Motors Canada has launched an AI-powered 'Intelligent Companion' for the 2025 Outlander, developed in collaboration with WongDoody and IBM. The tool, launched on March 5, 2025, utilizes IBM's watsonx portfolio and Granite model to provide an interactive 3D visual guide of the vehicle.

The AI-driven system offers personalized experiences, allowing customers to explore the Outlander in a real-world, branded environment. Built with IBM watsonx Orchestrate and watsonx.ai, it handles customer queries with natural, conversational responses and adapts to individual needs.

The project was developed rapidly, moving from concept to market launch in just twelve weeks. The system was specifically trained and tested with Canadian target audiences to ensure relevance and value in addressing niche questions about the vehicle.

Positive

• Implementation of advanced AI technology to enhance customer experience and sales process
• Rapid development and deployment (12 weeks from concept to market)
• Strategic partnership with major tech companies (IBM, WongDoody)

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Technology Analyst

IBM has secured a strategic win in the automotive AI sector with Mitsubishi Motors Canada implementing key components of IBM's watsonx portfolio in a consumer-facing application. This deployment represents tangible commercial validation of IBM's generative AI capabilities in a highly competitive market where IBM is working to demonstrate its relevance against pure-play AI companies.

The implementation leverages multiple IBM technologies - including the Granite foundation model, watsonx.ai development platform, and watsonx Orchestrate for building and managing AI agents - to power Mitsubishi's "Intelligent Companion" for the 2025 Outlander. The system handles complex natural language queries about vehicle features while providing interactive 3D visualization.

What's particularly noteworthy is the rapid 12-week implementation timeline from concept to market launch, demonstrating the maturity and enterprise-readiness of IBM's AI tools. This speed-to-market advantage could resonate with other potential enterprise clients facing pressure to implement AI solutions quickly.

While financial terms remain undisclosed and this single implementation likely won't materially impact IBM's $230 billion market cap, the strategic significance shouldn't be underestimated. This successful consumer-facing deployment provides IBM with a valuable reference case demonstrating its AI capabilities can handle complex, domain-specific applications requiring natural conversation capabilities.

For IBM investors, this implementation represents evidence that the company's substantial investments in AI research and development are translating into commercial applications across industry verticals. The deployment helps counter the narrative that IBM is falling behind in the generative AI race, showing its technology stack can power sophisticated customer experiences in traditional industries.

LONDON, ARMONK, N.Y. and MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada announces an innovative AI-powered tool designed to transform the customer experience for the new Mitsubishi Outlander 2025. "The Intelligent Companion," which launched on March 5, 2025, was created in collaboration with WongDoody (an Infosys company and IBM ecosystem partner) and leverages the IBM watsonx portfolio of AI products.

Leveraging IBM's Granite model and trained on Mitsubishi Outlander 2025 data, this cutting-edge experience offers a personalized, interactive 3D visual guide to the vehicle's features, enhancing customer engagement during the purchasing decision.

As a challenger brand, Mitsubishi Motors Canada is taking a focused approach to AI, investing in tools that can deliver real value to customers. "The Intelligent Companion" is the result of a first-time collaboration between Mitsubishi Motors Canada, WongDoody, and IBM.

This advanced tool offers a deep dive into AI-driven interactions, allowing users to explore the new Outlander in a real-world, Mitsubishi-branded environment. Developed by WongDoody, the 3D visualization within "The Intelligent Companion" showcases the vehicle's features in an engaging and interactive way.

Unlike traditional brochure-ware, pre-set vehicle tours and legacy chatbots, "The Intelligent Companion" adapts to each customer, creating a personalized journey from vehicle-curious to vehicle-owner. It is built with IBM watsonx Orchestrate, a generative AI and automation solution for building, deploying and managing AI agents and assistants, and watsonx.ai, an integrated, end-to-end AI development studio. These tools enable it to handle large amounts of data and is designed to provide responses that feel natural and conversational.

Trained and rigorously tested with Canadian target audiences to ensure it addresses niche questions and use cases with incredible relevance and value, customers can ask any questions they have about the vehicle specific to their needs, making it a versatile, relevant, and engaging tool. Leveraging the innovative AI and automation capabilities of watsonx, "The Intelligent Companion" gives customers personalized guidance within a next-generation automotive buying experience.

Developed with a global team of AI and experience experts, the project moved from initial conversations to a proof of concept in just four weeks and was designed by WongDoody in collaboration with IBM Client Engineering and launched in market within an impressive twelve weeks—a testament to the speed and efficiency of WongDoody's expertise and creative efficiency, alongside the flexibility of the watsonx technology.

Steve Carter, Marketing Director, Mitsubishi Motors Canada: "The Intelligent Companion" represents a major leap forward in customer engagement, offering a tailored experience that highlights the best features of the Mitsubishi Outlander 2025. Working with WongDoody and IBM has been an incredible collaboration, and we're truly impressed by how quickly this innovation came to life. This tool perfectly aligns with our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance customer satisfaction and drive innovation across our brand."

Ralf Gehrig, Global Chief Experience Officer, WongDoody: "Bringing this project to life at such speed and scale is a testament to the power of AI and global collaboration. With expertise from across the world, we combined technology and creative problem-solving to create something truly innovative in record time. This project proves that when the right minds and technology come together, the possibilities are endless."

"With the watsonx portfolio, clients can swiftly and efficiently integrate generative AI into their operations, leveraging their own enterprise data to help enrich customer experiences and boost productivity for the enterprise. Solutions like watsonx Orchestrate and watsonx.ai are designed to scale and accelerate AI impact, empowering businesses to transform how they go to market and become AI-first organizations," added Matt Sanchez, VP of product, watsonx Orchestrate at IBM.

About Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, Inc.

Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSCAN) is the sales, service, parts and marketing arm for Japan's Mitsubishi Motors. The 2025 product range includes the RVR subcompact crossover, Eclipse Cross compact sport utility and Outlander/Outlander PHEV compact sport utility. MMSCAN supports its 97 dealerships with a head office team and parts distribution centre, both located in Mississauga, Ontario. Established in 2002, MMSCAN and its dealerships employ more than 2,100 people in communities large and small.

For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles in Canada, please visit mitsubishi-motors-pr.ca 

About IBM:

IBM (NYSE: IBM) is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, and consulting expertise. We help clients in over 175 countries harness insights from their data, optimize business processes, reduce costs and gain a competitive advantage in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on the IBM hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to achieve their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting offer open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, accountability, inclusion and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com and other marks belonging to IBM. IBM products and services are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the web at "Copyright and trademark information" at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.

About WongDoody:

WongDoody is the creative and technology agency from Infosys that creates intelligent marketing and experiences helping unlock what's next for people and brands. With 22 studios and 2000+ employees around the globe, we serve clients in more than 55 countries with radically relevant human-centered creativity that solves business problems and transforms businesses through digital marketing that unlocks future potential with AI-driven marketing, data-backed strategies, intelligent products, services and platforms, virtual and augmented reality, digital twins, and next-gen AI content that people love. For more information https://www.wongdoody.com/ / 

 

Contacts:

Sabreena Dean, WongDoody
sabreena.dean@wongdoody.com

Clare Chachere, IBM
clare.chachere@ibm.com

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SOURCE IBM; Mitsubishi Motors

FAQ

What AI technology powers the new Mitsubishi Outlander 2025 Intelligent Companion?

The Intelligent Companion is powered by IBM's watsonx portfolio, including watsonx Orchestrate and watsonx.ai, using the Granite model trained on Outlander 2025 data.

How long did it take to develop and launch the Mitsubishi Outlander's AI companion?

The project moved from initial concept to proof of concept in 4 weeks and was fully launched in market within 12 weeks.

What features does the Mitsubishi Outlander 2025 AI companion offer?

It offers personalized, interactive 3D visual guides, real-world branded environment exploration, and natural conversational responses to customer queries about the vehicle.

When was the Mitsubishi Outlander 2025 AI Intelligent Companion launched?

The Intelligent Companion was launched on March 5, 2025.