Why the new Mitsubishi ASX is the best ever: buyers are now better off with the Euro-sourced Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan-shared 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs | Opinion

Late last year marked two significant milestones in the history of Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL).

Firstly, it celebrated 45 years as the entity that took over the failing Chrysler Australia Limited, including all the manufacturing facilities, in October, 1980,

Read more about

• Mitsubishi's popular 4WD and SUV axed from Australian line-up: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross production ends leaving Japanese brand without a rival to the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and Renault Arkana and Toyota C-HR
• New Mitsubishi Pajero from every angle!
• Popular ute gets Aussie upgrades

In both cases, a car supplied by somebody else saved the day. By the late 1970s, the Sigma by Mitsubishi kept Chrysler afloat after the latter’s Valiant large car’s sales plummeted, while nowadays MMAL’s best-seller is derived from the Nissan X-Trail platform (and petrol powertrain).

From here on in, every model bar the Triton ute and its coming Pajero Sport-replacing SUV off-shoot is based on cars from another manufacturer that remain rivals in the marketplace.

It’s worth noting of course that Nissan in Australia and New Zealand is using a lightly-modified Triton as the Navara replacement from this month, so the model sharing does go both ways.

But, is this development such a bad thing?

How many of the now-discontinued Mitsubishi-only models were worthy of a brand behind bona fide classics like the Lancer GSR Turbo, Magna family car, Starion sports coupe and full-sized Pajero 4WD?

These were all ambitious, innovative, highly-engineered and beloved icons that helped change the face of motoring. In contrast, some of the diamond brand’s latter offerings – hello LA Mirage – merely served as the face of mediocrity.

Let’s list each of the new-age Mitsubishis, sold here as well as globally, to see whether the switch to out-sourcing has resulted in better or worse passenger cars for consumers as a result.

2026 ASX: Now a beauty with brains and charm

The 2026 ASX is the first Mitsubishi rebadge job sold in Australia, being a lightly-facelifted version of the pre-facelift second-generation Renault Captur (that is, by the way, currently off-sale here and there’s no sign of the MY25 Series II version of the French car).

But the Euro newcomer has very, very big shoes to fill, given that the previous ASX became a huge hit (after a slow start back in 2010) in the emerging small SUV segment that it ultimately helped establish.

Don’t get us wrong. In its early days, the ASX was a capable yet easy to handle urban crossover with efficient powertrains and a sufficiently spacious interior that ably served as a second family car.

But successive facelifts and obvious cost-cutting measures diluted an ageing architecture derived from the 2007 Lancer, meaning it ended up as a cheap, dull and dated proposition by its 10^th birthday. Only low prices and a long warranty helped prop up the old timer.

In contrast, the Captur-derived version possesses the verve, spark and flair of the Clio supermini that sired it, making it one of today’s better small SUVs.

That the French ASX comes with the peace-of-mind of a conditional 10-year warranty means this a smart ticket to sophisticated European SUV ownership, and without the high maintenance costs to boot. An absolutely terrific buy!

2026 Outlander: Much better

Since 2022, the current Outlander mid-sized SUV has shared its CMF-CD architecture and PR25DD petrol engine with today’s fine Nissan T33 X-Trail.

But this is not more-widely known or acknowledged. At least Mitsubishi in Japan completely redesigned the body and cabin, meaning that you would never know the connection – even from behind the wheel, since the fourth generation to wear the badge feels and behaves differently.

Plus, the massive interior’s family-friendly practicality and optional (and pioneering) plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain further add some of that old-time Mitsubishi innovation.

Sure, the petrol models are in no way sporty or sophisticated to drive, but at least this Outlander delivers exactly what the badges on its big posterior promise.

And the latest version is a whole lot better to drive and sit inside than the dreary and unrefined previous one. We call this another win for buyers.

2026 Eclipse Cross: Much better (but not for Australia)

Still listed on Mitsubishi’s website today, despite being officially discontinued at the end of 2024, the old Eclipse Cross was meant to replace the previous ASX back in about 2017, before the latter’s unforeseen mid-life sales rally forced the struggling brand to keep it in production.

This also explains why the cash-strapped company offered two different yet near-identically-sized small SUVs, even down to sharing – along with the previous Outlander – an identical 2670mm wheelbase and ageing 2007 Lancer-based platform.

At least Mitsubishi bothered to introduce a new powertrain in the Eclipse Cross – a smooth yet gutsy 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, bypassing the tired old 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre “World Engine” units co-developed with Chrysler and Hyundai during the mid-2000s.

Still, with so much SUV overlap and awkward styling, the sales of the old Eclipse Cross never lived up to expectations.

But the nameplate, which has roots to the US-market Eclipse sports coupe of the late ‘80s, lives on in Europe, adorning the rear of a re-badged Renault Megane E-Tech electric vehicle.

Given that is widely regarded as one of the world’s better EVs, this a loss for local Mitsubishi fans since Australia is not getting it any time soon, but a big win for European Eclipse Cross buyers.

2026 Colt: Tragically denied to Australians

For older Australians, the Colt name conjures up memories of a Toyota Corolla-rivalling 1980s hatchback with neat styling and a bizarre eight-speed manual Super Shift gearbox. Yep, look it up, kids.

That had been badged as the Mirage in Japan since 1978, and went on to evolve into six generations of Lancer small cars from 1983, with Australia finally granted the Mirage for the CE series from 1996-2004. This went on to become of the most acclaimed Mitsubishis ever sold here.

Exhuming the Colt badge, its replacement was a boxier, taller supermini in the vein of the Mercedes A-Class, with excellent packaging and sophisticated engineering.

So, you can imagine the indignation when the Mirage name returned from 2012 on a cheap city car that was designed for low-cost accessibility and lightest-possible weight. Commendable in theory, in execution this was as loud and unrefined as its predecessor was calm and refined. Regularly starring in worst-car listings, its only legacy is proving that a low price does not equal high value.

The 2026 Colt, on the other hand, is derived from the Renault Clio, which remains one of the sweetest European superminis the world has ever known. We’d love to see it in Australia with the backing of MMAL.

2026 Grandis: This one’s complicated

Derived from an extended version of the Renault Captur known as the Symbioz, the 2026 Grandis is a small-ish medium-sized SUV in the mould of the Kia Seltos, complete with hybrid tech.

That name though. Grandis will forever be associated with Mitsubishi’s take on the Toyota Tarago-dominated people-mover scene of some 20 years ago in Australia.

While there is a gaping hole in MMAL’s local SUV line-up between ASX and Outlander, the latest Grandis is not quite the right fit, being too small to lure buyers away from the Toyota RAV4 heartland.

A larger, Nissan Qashqai-derived crossover may be on the cards sometime in the future. Renault already sells a version of that in Europe as the Austral – a model ironically not slated for Australia.