We finally know what Mitsubishi Australia plans to do about its ancient but defiant ASX small SUV.
Pending the March 1 introduction of ADR 98/00 which mandates the inclusion of car-to-car autonomous emergency braking (AEB) on just about all new vehicles sold, Mitsubishi has announced the Renault Captur-based ASX offered in Europe will succeed the venerable model offered here since 2010.
Local details are still few and far between at this early stage, so much so we don’t even have an official ETA beyond this year.
Facelifted in April 2024, the second-generation 2025 Mitsubishi ASX is available in Europe with a choice of petrol, mild hybrid and full hybrid powertrains, all of which are a chance to make it into local showrooms as part of Mitsubishi’s ‘Momentum 2030’ strategy and the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).
It’s plausible the standard petrol could be skipped in favour of the mild hybrid seeing as both are offered with a manual transmission, however Mitsubishi Australia will no doubt be conscious of maintaining the ASX’s value factor which is already in jeopardy due to the five per cent import tax applied to vehicles sourced from Europe – the Euro ASX is produced in Spain.
Regardless, the base mill is a 67kW turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder hooked up exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission.
The mild hybrid meantime is a 103kW 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder paired with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the latter consuming 5.9L/100km.
The flagship full hybrid pairs a 1.6-litre four-cylinder with a pair of electric motors (alternator-starter and drive motor) and a 1.2kWh battery pack for a combined output of 105kW and claimed fuel consumption of 4.7L/100km.
“The new Mitsubishi ASX blends thoroughly modern design and a dynamic driving experience to the next generation of ASX customers,” Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott said.
“We look forward to sharing more details of this intriguing new SUV as we move closer to its market launch in 2025.”
Elsewhere in the brand’s portfolio, both the Eclipse Cross (including PHEV) and rugged Pajero Sport will also meet their makers in ADR 98/100, with production for our market having already wound down.
A Mitsubishi Australia spokesperson said careful forward planning had shored up supply of these models into 2025 – a direct or immediate replacement for either is yet to be announced, however the brand has already teased eventual successors due before the end of the decade.
Meantime, Australia will be treated to an upgraded Outlander (including PHEV) later this year while the local Triton pick-up portfolio will grow substantially with the arrival of cab chassis Triton range plus other variants.