Will Mitsubishi Australia bring in the new Renault-based ASX and Colt?

Don’t expect to see all new-generation Mitsubishi products Down Under, as the brand looks to only offer products that will resonate well with local buyers.

When asked by CarsGuide whether the brand would bring in new models being teased, such as the next-generation ASX crossover and Colt hatchback, Mitsubishi Australia boss Shaun Westcott basically said to not hold our breaths.

“Now, the reality is that markets differ, and we are part of the leader-follower strategy and have been designed the leader for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), which includes Oceania, which includes Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

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“And we will work with our parent company to develop and evolve and select products that are most appropriate to this market.

“What resonates with different markets may not resonate with Australians, and vice versa.”

The new ASX, for example, will be built in a Renault factory in France, and is expected to borrow heavily from the Captur light SUV.

Likewise, the Colt will be based on the fifth-generation Renault Clio, and launch in international markets next year.

The next-gen ASX hasn't been revealed, but Mitsubishi teased the SUV in January.

Mitsubishi Australia meanwhile, is focussing on its core range of SUVs and Triton ute, which has propelled the brand to third in the sales charts ahead of Hyundai and Kia after six months of trading this year.

This line-up includes the ageing ASX, facelifted Eclipse Cross, new-generation Outlander, Pajero Sport off-roader and aforementioned Triton pick-up.

But beyond that, Mitsubishi Australia’s future product road map remains unclear.

However, Mr Westcott said Mitsubishi Australia would continue to look for new models that are suited to Australian buying preferences, rather than simply putting its hand up for everything that is available.

“We continue to collaborate and work very closely with our parent company, in fact there’s an R&D team on its way to Australia who will be embedded with us for a number of months, working very closely with us to define the attributes and the characteristics that Australians like, want and need from their cars,” he said.

“And we’ll be using those inputs to evolve and develop technologies that suit us.”

Mr Westcott called out the new-generation Outlander as an example what being part of a global alliance can offer Mitsubishi.

“Let’s just talk about Outlander, there’s an opportunity for us to share the same platforms, to share the same technology, but allow us to still develop distinctive Mitsubishi vehicles – and that’s our primary goal,” he said.

“Our primary goal at Mitsubishi Australia is to develop and bring to market vehicles that are relevant and appropriate, but still have that distinctiveness about them that make them uniquely Mitsubishi that appeals to our target market.

“Quite frankly, what appeals to a Renault buyer and what appeals to a Nissan buyer might be completely different.

“Our marketing department really studies our market, we understand who buys our vehicles, we understand our core target market … we know what our competitive advantages are, we know what our customers are looking for and we look to how we match that to give optimum vehicles to the market.

“The Alliance gives us that access to even a wider spectrum of platforms, technologies and even as we look at the future with EVs and where that’s going … pooling our resources allows us to leapfrog, gain a competitive advantage.”