Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) is relocating its Holland-based European base of operations back to Japan in order to save on costs.

Mitsubishi is to repatriate all vehicle-related functions, including sales, marketing and product management, to Japan, from where the carmaker will liaise directly with its 34 European distributors. Support functions like logistics and finance will stay based in Holland at the revised Mitsubishi Motors Europe.

The carmaker said the proposal would translate into a 45% reduction of its executive headcount in Europe. MME said the cuts would affect about 90 people.

MMC said: “Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has decided to act proactively with structural changes in its organisation to prepare for tomorrow.”

The proposed changes will not affect Mitsubishi Motors’ European production hub, NedCar.