Mitsubishi XFC Concept previews next ASX

Mitsubishi has ripped the covers off what could be the next-generation (global) Mitsubishi ASX ahead of the 2022 Vietnam motor show.

Dubbed the Mitsubishi XFC Concept, the triple-diamond brand describes its latest show car as the “best-suited buddy for an exciting life” and confirmed the production version will be launched in ASEAN markets (which includes Australia) next year ahead of an eventual expansion into other regions.

“We hope to grow the model from a vehicle for the ASEAN market to a global strategic vehicle, making it a core model like the sales-leading Xpander crossover MPV,” Mitsubishi Motors president and CEO Takao Kato said.

This confirmation comes just three months after Mitsubishi announced in July that it will invest $US665 million ($A1.06 billion) in Indonesia over the next three years to build a new EV plant and upgrade its existing production facilities.

It also comes a month after a new Mitsubishi ASX was revealed for Europe in September, but the rebadged Renault Captur has been ruled out for Australian release since it will only be produced in left-hand drive guise in and for Europe.

But the XFC Concept could herald a new ASX for markets outside Europe including Australia, and it’s a futuristic looking little thing that could’ve come from Stark Enterprises with voiceover by James Spader…

Designers say the car has the “compact yet powerful and imposing aura of an SUV” with a “stylish and sporty profile to match the cityscapes of the ASEAN region”.

What this actually means is that it has plenty of harsh crease lines, pointed yet integrated lighting signatures, good ground clearance and a whiff of sporting intent primarily via its angry face.

Depending on what angle you view it from, vague traces of Lamborghini Urus can be seen in the overall shape and pointed headlights… with an emphasis on the vague.

More appropriately, the basic proportions are broadly similar to the current Mitsubishi ASX range, which has just been tweaked for the 2023 model year, with a tall front-end, high bonnet line and decent-size interior.

Inside the cabin is a Mercedes-Benz-style dual-screen infotainment array comprising a digital instrument cluster and widescreen multimedia interface.

Would-be drivers are greeted by a flat-bottom steering wheel with haptic controls littering the left and right spokes, plus digital wing mirrors, haptic window switches, haptic climate controls and a two-storey centre console adorned with a teardrop-shaped gear selector.

Upholstery comes courtesy of off-white and yellow leather, complemented rather nicely by light grey fabric on the dashboard and door-handles, plus grey plastic and piano-black trim.

Mitsubishi repeatedly emphasises the XFC Concept’s ability to deal with challenging road conditions in its press materials, drawing special attention to the ‘Wet’ driving mode being developed specifically for the ASEAN region, but doesn’t once mention the inclusion of all-wheel drive.

Other drive modes comprise ‘Normal’, ‘Gravel’ and ‘Mud’.

If the XFC Concept does indeed preview Mitsubishi Australia’s next ASX, it could be at least mid-2024 or even 2025 before we see it Down Under, depending on how the ASEAN rollout goes.

That means the current ASX could be set to hang around for at another two or three years, by which time it would be 15 years old and forced to compete with a range of much younger upcoming rivals including the new Nissan QASHQAI.

Mitsubishi Australia recently told carsales the company was committed to the ASX nameplate, which has long been Australia’s most popular small SUV but is now out-sold by the MG ZS, Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona in a market segment that’s expected to grow by 27 per cent over the next four years.

“Our brand is focussed on SUVs, not passenger cars, and ASX is still a really important model for us,” said Mitsubishi Australia’s senior manager of product strategy, Owen Thomson.

“It’s now the entry point to our brand and we’re currently working through what the successor to that car will look like

“I can’t say any more than that, but small SUVs are very important to us and to get that right as the entry model to the brand is very important,” he added.

Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott wouldn’t be drawn on when and how the next ASX will take shape Down Under, but said the model’s 13 per cent sales slump this year was due to supply issues.

“Yes we will continue to study various platforms, various configurations, various cars,” he told carsales recently.

“ASX is a very important product for us and we will continue to monitor sales and demand and what options are available to us.

“[But] We have a very, very strong order bank for ASX. We just can’t meet the demand.

“We lost the number one place because competitors that may be more cheap and cheerful than us have more supply than us.

“It’s not an indication of ASX and where it’s at in terms of customer demand,” said Westcott of slowing ASX sales.

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