It’s official: After round 15 years on the Australian market, the present Mitsubishi ASX is lastly being retired.
The budget-friendly small SUV can be changed by a mannequin that, since 2023, has been sporting the Mitsubishi ASX nameplate in Europe: a rebadged Renault Captur.
An incoming Australian Design Rule (ADR) – 98/00, mandating particular technical necessities for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) techniques – has pressured Mitsubishi to axe the present mannequin as it’s going to not be compliant from March 1, 2025.
The incoming regulation may even spell the tip of the present Eclipse Cross and Pajero Sport, although Mitsubishi says it has been capable of shore up provide of all of those automobiles into 2025.
It has confirmed the brand new ASX will launch throughout this 12 months, however hasn’t mentioned when precisely.
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Mitsubishi additionally hasn’t confirmed how a lot the brand new ASX will value, or what powertrains it is going to be supplied with domestically.
“We look forward to sharing more details of this intriguing new SUV as we move closer to its market launch in 2025,” mentioned Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMAL) CEO Shaun Westcott.
The present ASX is priced from $24,490 to $35,240 earlier than on-road prices, whereas the Renault Captur that its alternative can be based mostly on was priced from $33,000 to $39,500 earlier than on-roads final 12 months. An up to date mannequin is due right here this 12 months.
In Europe, the Captur-based ASX is obtainable with a selection of three petrol powertrains:
- A turbo 1.0-litre three-cylinder with 67kW, mated with a six-speed guide
- A turbo 1.3-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid with 103kW, mated with a six-speed guide
- A turbo 1.3-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid with 116kW, mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto
- A 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid with a complete system output of 105kW and a ‘multi-mode’ computerized
Unlike its Captur twin, the ASX isn’t supplied with a plug-in hybrid powertrain in Europe.
In addition to pricing and specs, we additionally don’t know the way a lot provide Mitsubishi will be capable of safe of the European ASX.
The present ASX has traditionally been one in every of Australia’s top-selling small SUVs. It was primary in its phase as not too long ago as 2020, whereas final 12 months it was fifth.
With 12,330 gross sales, the ASX was outsold solely by the Mazda CX-30 (12,672), GWM Haval Jolion (14,238), Hyundai Kona (17,374) and MG ZS (22,629).
The affirmation of the European ASX ends a number of years of hypothesis as to what would exchange the dated SUV, recognized elsewhere because the RVR and Outlander Sport.
Mitsubishi launched a brand new small SUV for Southeast Asia referred to as the Xforce, nevertheless it isn’t compliant with Australian rules.
That left simply the European ASX, significantly as Mitsubishi couldn’t merely go away the Eclipse Cross as its lone small SUV right here as it’s going to additionally fall foul of native rules from March 1, 2025.
The use of a automobile from Renault invitations questions as to how lengthy Mitsubishi’s new ASX will final, given the Alliance the 2 manufacturers are a part of with Nissan seems to be on its final gasps and a mega-merger between Nissan, Honda and probably Mitsubishi is within the offing.
Mitsubishi has beforehand mentioned the Xforce could possibly be supplied outdoors of Southeast Asia.
Company CEO Takao Kato in October 2022 mentioned he “[hoped] to grow the model from a vehicle for the ASEAN market to a global strategic vehicle” whereas additionally confirming an electrified model can be supplied.
That might go away the European ASX as a stopgap in Australia.
When the European ASX was first revealed in 2022, it couldn’t have been extra apparent this was a rebadge.
Even the grille nonetheless had the form of the Renault diamond brand on it, whereas down again the diamond was changed with an unpleasant protruding reversing digicam.
A facelift in 2024 gave it a barely extra cohesive look, although adjustments from the Renault stay restricted.
The ASX and the revived Colt, a rebadged Renault Clio, had been revealed in 2022 shortly after Mitsubishi introduced in 2020 it was exiting Europe after which did a U-turn in 2021.
In the tip, it solely ended up quitting the UK market.
Mitsubishi has supplied a rebadged Renault in Australia earlier than with the Express van, which was a Trafic with three diamonds on the grille as an alternative of 1 massive one.
Launched in 2020, Mitsubishi axed it in 2022 citing world enterprise and provide chain points, although a controversial zero-star ANCAP security score didn’t assist its popularity.
The Captur-based ASX marks a reversal of roles for Mitsubishi ASX, which was bought for 5 years by Renault’s French rivals Citroen and Peugeot because the C4 Aircross and 4008, respectively.
These two fashions had been stopgaps as Citroen and Peugeot mother or father Groupe PSA grappled with monetary issues and labored to flesh out its then-limited crossover lineup.
It’s unclear whether or not the ASX will stay on in markets like Japan and Thailand. The Mirage was felled by an ADR in 2021, nevertheless it stays on Mitsubishi tariffs in not solely these markets but additionally Europe and the US.
MORE: Everything Mitsubishi ASX