Mitsubishi confirms ASX listing

Mitsubishi has confirmed the name it will use for its new sub-compact softroader. To be called ASX, the vehicle is based on the Japanese marque's Concept CX show car. The production version lands Down Under in August and will be the first of a number of sub-compact high-riders expected to debut locally.

New Mitsubishi Australia CEO Masahiko Takahashi confirmed the vehicle's badge yesterday in Melbourne. Floated originally as the RVR, the ASX is the name the vehicle uses in Europe.

ASX stands for Active Smart Crossover, not Active Sports Crossover as previously stated.

"It's not necessary that we will explain that to consumers, but behind the scene that is the concept behind the name," Takahashi-san told the Carsales Network. 

Takahashi said that the ASX would arrive Down Under as "a range" rather than a single model.

In answering a query on whether it would be petrol-only, he stated: "We will have a range of powertrains."

The ASX is a key car for Mitsubishi locally as the brand is not well represented in the sub-$18,000 light car segment. Its sole light car entrant the Colt has under-performed in the Australian market since its release in 2004 despite a number of equipment and pricing re-alignments along the way. This year its sales are a bare 12 per cent of the Light Car class leader's, Toyota's Yaris.

Like his direct predecessor Robert McEniry, Takahashi believes the ASX will help Mitsubishi's performance in the light car arena.

"There is a global trend to smaller SUVs -- smaller than our Outlander. We believe this trend will become very noticeable in Australia in the next couple of years -- therefore we are determined to bring in the ASX.

"It's a pity that Colt is not at all picking up [sales] but we have plans to take care of that [light car] segment but it's maybe too preliminary to explain that today. We are clearly aware of the position and we have a plan... But we're happy with our current position."

Takahashi intimated a stronger performance in the light car segment would address the sales gap between Mitsubishi and the best performing importers. Based on the Japanese Apr 09-Mar-10 fiscal year, he says Mitsubishi Australia will sell around 58,500 vehicles.

Nonetheless, Colt will get a "fine-tune" in August to complement the ASX's arrival, Takahashi revealed.

Changes will include a powertrain update -- currently Colt engines are European sourced, new Colt will get Japanese engines. There is no intention to adopt the Outlander style nose-job for Aussie Colts, however.

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