Mitsubishi Electric has used the consumer insights derived from the launch of its 2014 refrigerator range to influence the release program of its new flagship model, the MR-WX743Y.
Available in Diamond White and Dark Mahogany, this Japanese-manufactured powerhouse of refrigerator is coming to Australia because the local market has expressed an appetite for highly functional and, incidentally, highly priced kitchen appliances.
Jeremy Needham is the executive director of Mitsubishi Electric and he told me that he himself was actually a bit surprised by how well Australians were responding to Mitsubishi Electric’s current range.
“We found some time ago that sales of these fridges were absolutely booming,” he said. “Month on month for us still, we’re selling more of these high-end French Door and large capacity fridges. They have all types of advanced features — they can make ice cream, they can super chill water — they are quite remarkable machines, and we were surprised that refrigerators with this kind of capability and, frankly, for this kind of price were doing what they were doing in the market.
“They are doing very, very well for us, and we asked ourselves ‘why?'”
The answer to this question, Needham discovered, was what he labels a ‘Kitchen Revolution’. More families are spending more time in the kitchen cooking meals for the family, and these people want the best equipment to make the best end product. It is a revolution heavily influenced by TV cooking shows and the celebrity chef culture, of which Mitsubishi Electric is a benefactor, through its celebrity spokes-chef Fast Ed Halmagyi, from Channel Seven’s Better Homes and Gardens program.
“We want to spend more time with our family, and eat not as much fast food as we once might have done,” Needham told me. “We want to be more health conscious, so our thoughts are changing, and people are definitely spending more on their kitchens and the things that go into their kitchens. That was what sparked our interest.”
The new 800-millimetre model in the Mitsubishi Electric range is a beast of a refrigerator. It may not have a fancy name, just the model code MR-WX743Y, but it does pack in the features. It’s got a 743-litre total capacity (377 in the refrigerator, 151 in the freezer, 25 in the ice maker, 56 in the Versa compartment and 134 in the vegetable compartment).
The Versa drawer offers users the choice of Supercool freezing and Soft freezing, while the freezer drawers have sliding dividers so food doesn’t get lost at the bottom. In a case of water + magic = ice, the ice maker comprises a water reservoir and a drawer for collecting the cubes after the wonders of modern technology have imparted their functional magnificence.
In past years, the Japanese refrigerator manufacturers have lagged behind their European rivals in terms of style and aesthetics. Mitsubishi Electric is making strides to overcome this perception, with Needham explaining some of thinking behind the MR-WX743Y’s appearance.
“The Dark Mahogany model is naturally suited for kitchens with a dark colour palette, while the Diamond White version is a fresh take on the classic white,” he told me. “Tempered glass shelves and glass-front panels further add a modern touch, while the digital control panel means that the refrigerator can perform optimally at all times, according to the user’s needs.”
The Mitsubishi Electric MR-WX743Y refrigerator is RRP $4,620.
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