Mitsubishi News

Mitsubishi Australia has confirmed local pricing for the “significantly updated” Outlander plug-in hybrid (PHEV), launching immediately.The 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV update, which primarily consists of a small battery capacity increase and more power, sees prices rise as much as $3000 for one variant.Now starting from $58,990 before on-road costs, the base ES now costs $1700 more, while the top-spec Exceed Tourer is now $74,490, an increase of $2700.The mid-size family SUV now comes with a 22.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack, up from 20kWh, which increases its NEDC electric-only range from 84km to 103km. Under more widely used (and more accurate) WLTP testing, Mitsubishi claims its EV range is 86km.Claimed fuel consumption under NEDC testing drops from 1.5L/100km to 1.2L/100km, though the testing undertaken to achieve this would have seen full EV mode used for much of the driven distance.Mitsubishi also claims power output for the drivetrain system, which consists of a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and two electric motors driving all four wheels, is 221kW - this is up significantly over the previous 185kW.While the engine and motors' individual peak outputs are unchanged, the new system allows the trio to reach a collective peak power at a higher point. Mitsubishi doesn't quote a total torque output.Four drive modes, Normal, Charge, Save, and EV, also allow the driver to decide how much the Outlander is relying on the electric elements of its drivetrain.Australian-specific ride and handling changes have been made for the update, including a set of recalibrated shock absorbers at the front and rear, and an anti-roll bar with a smaller diameter. Power steering mapping has also been adjusted to “improve on-centre feel and linear turning response”.Cabin noise is reportedly helped by a new steel bonnet and front fenders, plus specific new Bridgestone tyres aim to lower road noise.Aerodynamics have been improved by some styling changes in line with the combustion variants, Mitsubishi says, while lighting has changed with the addition of rear LED lamps.Also key to the update is the changing of seating arrangements. The Aspire and Exceed have switched which grade is available with five or seven seats.Mitsubishi Motors Australia’s General Manager of Product Strategy, Bruce Hampel, says the Outlander PHEV is “more powerful than ever before, whilst simultaneously improving efficiency and pure EV range through Mitsubishi's latest generation PHEV powertrain”.2026 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Australian pricing 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Australian specifications 

Late last year marked two significant milestones in the history of Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL).Firstly, it celebrated 45years as the entity that took over the failing Chrysler Australia Limited, including all the manufacturing facilities, in October, 1980,And secondly, with the latest ASX from France arriving as the belated replacement for the 15-year-old previous version that new Australian Design Rules forced off the market by the end of 2024, it signalled the end of the pure Mitsubishi passenger car in Australia.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.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 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!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.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.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.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.

The Mitsubishi Pajero is soon coming back and it will have plenty of stiff competition to go up against.The Japanese carmaker is set to reveal the new-generation Pajero at some point during 2026 and it will likely make its way to Australia shortly after.Mitsubishi has officially teased this new “cross-country” SUV and we’ve already spied prototypes being tested here in Australia so it’s clear the reveal is imminent.As previously speculated, it’s understood this new Mitsubishi SUV will be called just the Pajero, dropping the Sport suffix altogether.This will see the iconic and original Pajero nameplate revived for the first time since it was retired in 2021.What platform will the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero use?There is still a lot of speculation regarding what the new Pajero will be based on. The Pajero has historically been its own vehicle, however the Pajero Sport (formerly known as the Challenger) has always been based on the Triton ute.Previous reports have stipulated the new Pajero will be based on the current Triton, which launched locally in 2024. This is a massive change in formula and means it will be body-on-frame.Historically, the Pajero was built on a ladder-frame chassis, but later versions from the 2000s onwards were built on a monocoque platform, like the current Land Rover Defender.What engine will the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero use?Given the Triton bones, it’s expected the new-gen Pajero will likely share a version of the 2.4-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine. It produces 150kW and 470Nm in the Australian-specification Triton.It’ll likely also receive Mitsubishi’s latest version of its Super-Select four-wheel-drive system which allows for full-time four-wheel drive on sealed surfaces.Locally the Triton is only offered with a six-speed automatic transmission, however the outgoing Pajero Sport was offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s unclear if Mitsubishi will offer this new-generation Pajero with a similar eight-speed automatic transmission.What will the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero look like?In terms of styling, previous prototypes have shown it’ll have a big, boxy and bluff silhouette. From some angles it even looks like the Nissan Patrol Y63.Although we haven’t seen the design in full yet, it’s expected design cues like a large grille, headlights that cascade down the front fascia, plus bonnet bulges will feature.At the rear there is no tailgate-mounted spare wheel, likely meaning it’ll be mounted under the vehicle.The interior design is yet to be revealed though it will likely share a lot with the Triton. Five- and seven-seat configurations are likely.When will the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero go on sale?This new Mitsubishi large SUV can’t come soon enough as the Japanese carmaker axed a number of models, including the Pajero Sport, in 2025 as they didn't meet new Australian Design Rule (ADR) standards which stipulated specific requirements for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems.As a result Mitsubishi’s largest SUV is currently the mid-sized Outlander, which is also its best-seller by far. Certain trims are available in seven-seat form.

Internal combustion power is still by far the most popular type of car in Australia, the latest sales data has revealed. 

China is now the biggest country of origin for new-car sales in Australia, leapfrogging Japan in what is a seismic shift in the Australian automotive industry.

The incoming new-generation Nissan Navara is mechanically identical to the Mitsubishi Triton, but carries a sizeable price jump in comparison.It adds another rival to a compact ute market, so how does the more expensive Navara shape up to its cheaper Triton sibling? Nissan said money and time has been invested into its ute’s suspension, receiving assistance from Australian specialists Premcar.The brand said this local tuning offers improvement to driving and handling with and without load. The Navara has three different suspension set-ups across the range, with lower grades tuned for carrying loads, while SUV-like suspension is fitted to higher grades. Nissan’s ute also has a locking rear differential as standard on all grades, unlike on the Triton. Here is a breakdown of the difference between the Navara and the Triton.Pricing Australia (before on-road costs) Noting the Triton’s current drive-away offering, it comes in substantially cheaper than the Navara across the range. DimensionsBoth have the same braked towing capacity of 3500kg. Things start to change when we look at payload, with the Triton offers superior carrying capacity across the range. When it comes to cargo bed size, the pair share the same-sized space.  Engine and efficiencyThe Navara and Triton are nearly mechanically identical and use the same engine and transmission, so there is no difference between the two. Standard featuresNext grade adds or replaces: Next grade adds or replaces: Next grade adds The Navara does have more standard equipment than the Triton in a comparison between the pair.As standard, the Navara gets a digital driver display, unlike on the Triton, while it also gets a bigger central touchscreen. There is digital DAB+ radio, LED lighing front and back, tailgate assist and a rear diff lock as standard on the Navara, while that is only available on higher grade Tritons. There are areas where the Triton matches the Navara, including all-terrain tires and basic cloth trimmed manually adjustable seats.On the top-spec grades, the Triton has bigger alloy wheels, but they both have leather seats. The Navara’s top grade has a towbar fitted, but the Triton does not.Safety The Nissan Navara adopts the same five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded to the Mitsubishi Triton in 2024. Both get all the safety gear you would expect, such as eight airbags, lane keep assist and auto-emergency. As standard, both cars get a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. VerdictThe Mitsubishi Triton appears to be the value buy here as it gets most of the gear as on the Navara, but for a cheaper price. The Triton's special drive-away price makes it more compelling for now, but the price gap will close once that offer is removed.The Triton may be the budget pick, but the Navara’s benefits are not obvious from the spec sheet. Its Aussie-tuned suspension and rear-differential lock could give it the edge on the off-roading scene, while also aiding the on-road driving experience. 

The rise and rise of Chinese car brands in Australia is testing the legacy brands like never before.Relative newbies like BYD, Chery, GWM and MG are eating away at sales of carmakers with long histories in Australia.What will 2026 bring for those historic brands in Australia? For some it will be a make or break year. The Federal Government’s emissions reduction scheme is also expected to start having more of an impact this year.We make some predictions about what sort of year the non-Chinese brands in Australia’s top 10 will have in 2026.Toyota may have stumbled in the January sales figures, down 22.3 per cent year on year, but the company put that down to stock irregularities with the changeover to new HiLux and low stock of outgoing RAV4.Don’t expect too many more stumbles in 2026 from Brand T. A new RAV4 is just around the corner and from what we’ve heard, there’s quite the order bank for the family-friendly hybrid SUV for the coming months.There’s not a lot of new product coming in 2026, but the hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series might give the off-roader a boost. Either way, expect Toyota to remain number one by a comfy margin come the end of the year.Mazda is in an interesting position. The Japanese carmaker has had mixed sales success with its range of large rear- and all-wheel drive SUVs. The BT-50 ute remains a steady seller, and ageing models like the Mazda3, CX-3 and CX-30 continue to enjoy strong interest, despite a raft of new challengers, largely from China.It will finally launch a couple of proper EVs in 2026, the Mazda6e sedan and CX-6e SUV, which are built in China through its local partner Changan. They’re not expected to add significant volume to Mazda’s tally. A new-gen CX-5 should give Mazda a leg up in 2026, but the much-needed hybrid won‘t arrive until 2027, which will likely blunt sales in the coming 12 months.Ford will continue to rely almost exclusively on its Ranger and Everest twins for sales volume this year. The Ranger was Australia’s top-selling vehicle in 2025 (56,555 units) and the Everest was the most popular large SUV (26,161).Beyond solid sales for the Transit Custom van and Mustang sports car, it’s unclear if Ford will be able to draw volume from anywhere else. As reported, the Blue Oval is expected to offer a China-sourced Bronco ‘New Energy’ medium SUV as a rugged looking alternative to the BYD Sealion 6. But we can’t see Ford increasing its sales by much in 2026.The two Korean giants, Hyundai and Kia, will continue to battle each other this year. In 2025 Kia just edged its sister brand by 5000 sales and it managed third place in January this year. A continued EV push with the EV4 and updated EV6 will add incremental volume, but the new-gen Seltos small SUV won’t land until later this year.There’s still life in the Sportage and Sorento, with new versions not expected until 2027. Both models continue to be strong sellers so expect Kia to either tread water or do a little better than last year.Hyundai has a solid model range, including CarsGuide’s overall 2026 Car of the Year, the Santa Fe and the best Medium SUV under $130K, the Ioniq 5. In terms of new metal, the biggest addition will be the Elexio EV. A mid-size SUV, it will be priced keenly and take on the related Kia EV5, as well as the BYD Sealion 7.New-gen versions of the popular Tucson medium SUV and i30 sedan are not due until next year, but we could see a facelift to the Santa Fe soon. But Hyundai should remain steady overall in 2026.The other non-Chinese top 10 brand is Mitsubishi. The Japanese carmaker is in a period of flux, having just launched the more expensive new-gen ASX, but losing the Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross.The big news is the return of Pajero (or Pajero Sport), which has already been spied testing in Australia, by none other than CarsGuide’s own Production Editor, Jack Quick.Timing for this is unclear and it might not land until next year, leaving Mitsubishi to battle the Chinese giants for another challenging year.

Mitsubishi’s new Toyota Prado rival is getting closer to its reveal.In the meantime Japanese publication Best Car Web has shown off new digital renders of what the forthcoming 2026 Mitsubishi Pajero will look like in production guise.They show a blocky and bluff large SUV, which appears to be off-road-capable and also draws some inspiration from the latest Nissan Patrol Y63, especially at the rear.At the front there is a large grille with headlights that cascade down the fascia, plus the bonnet has bulges helping to indicate its toughness.Around the side it’s fairly slab-sided, with one design flourish being the character lines on the C-pillar.The rear is virtually vertical and features tail-lights that have a similar design motif to the headlights. Notably the renders don’t show a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, indicating that Mitsubishi isn’t planning on offering this.While Best Car Web has published these new digital renders of the Pajero, a camouflaged prototype has already been spied numerous times on Australian roads.Mitsubishi has also included a camouflaged prototype in an official teaser video, confirming the new “cross-country” SUV will be revealed this year.As previously reported, it’s understood this new SUV will be called just the Pajero, dropping the Sport suffix altogether.This could see the iconic and original Pajero nameplate being revived for the first time since it was retired in 2021.There is still a lot of speculation surrounding what this new SUV is based on. The Pajero has historically been its own vehicle, however the Pajero Sport (formerly known as the Challenger) has always been based on the Triton ute.Previous reports have stipulated the new Pajero will be based on the current Triton ute, which launched locally in 2024. This means a body-on-frame is likely.Historically, the Pajero was built on a ladder-frame chassis, but later versions from the 2000s onward were built on a monocoque platform, like the current Land Rover Defender.If this new-generation Pajero is based on the Triton, this likely means it will share a version of its 2.4-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine. It produces 150kW and 470Nm in the Australian-specification Triton.It’ll likely also receive Mitsubishi’s latest version of its Super-Select four-wheel drive system which allows for full-time four-wheel drive on sealed surfaces.Locally the Triton is only offered with a six-speed automatic transmission, however the outgoing Pajero Sport was offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission.It’s unclear if Mitsubishi will offer this new-generation Pajero with a similar eight-speed automatic transmission.This new Mitsubishi large SUV can’t come soon enough as the Japanese carmaker axed a considerable portion of its line-up, including the Pajero Sport, earlier this year due to them not meeting new Australian Design Rule (ADR) standards which stipulated specific requirements for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems.As a result Mitsubishi’s largest SUV is currently the mid-sized Outlander, which is also its best-seller by far. Certain trims can be had in seven-seat form.

The incoming Mitsubishi Pajero could be as cheap as a diesel dual-cab ute, according to new reports that suggest the reborn icon will seriously undercut its Japanese competition in the Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser.

Cathy, Thorpey, Kylie and Nikki had just shown the world that Australia can hold its own in sports and culture, we’d given quite a few of our guns away, the Millenial Bug wasn’t such a concern anymore… and three sedans dominated Aussie roads.A quarter of a century ago, the year 2000 was just in the rear-view, and the sales charts looked very different to today.What better time than 25 years later to look back at the cars and brands Australians were heading to the showroom for?Not only were there fewer utes and SUVs being sold, they didn’t even make up a third of the new vehicle sales in the country combined that year. Utes and SUVs were lumped together in the same section of the VFACTS report (the sales figures industry stakeholders, pundits and media receive each month) alongside heavy trucks.Only 8413 new Toyota RAV4s were sold, making the Daewoo Lanos (9029 sales) more popular that year. Compare that to 2025, when the RAV4 ranked second in sales for the year with a whopping 51,947 units, only topped by the Ranger (56,555).Speaking of which, how did our now-favourite utes fare in 2000? The Ford Courier, the Ranger’s predecessor, sold just 6769 units, while the HiLux managed to hop into the top 10 with 21,509 sales. Still somewhat short of its 51,297 in 2025.To be fair, if you’d asked someone if they were buying a Ford ute, the Courier wouldn’t have been the first thing to come to mind. Ford sold 13,698 Falcon utes in the year 2000, putting it well ahead of its Commodore rival’s 6361.That can be explained easily, Holden didn't build a new ute for the VT generation Commodore of the late-’90s, instead continuing to sell the VS ute alongside the VT sedan.The near-new AU Falcon ute (released in mid-1999) had the car-based ute market covered for the turn of the century.Those two now-gone badges, along with the enduring Toyota Camry and the impressive Mitsubishi Magna, were impossible to avoid on Aussie roads then, with the Commodore, Falcon, Camry and Magna being first, second, third and fifth (thanks to the Corolla in fourth) most popular cars in the country in 2000.Between them they contributed to the total 198,766 large passenger cars sold in 2000, which made up 35.9 per cent of the year’s new vehicle sales. In 2025, large passenger cars made up just 2285 sales, or 0.2 per cent of the market.Small cars made up the other major chunk of sales back in 2000, with 154,050 sales being 27.8 per cent of the market. They were 72,222 sales and 6.0 per cent of last year’s market share.The aforementioned Daewoo was in the top 10 brands (just) in terms of sales for the year 2000, but was the only brand in that list that no longer exists.A scroll through the list shows other long-gone names like Daihatsu, Saab and Proton, and one not-so-long-gone name — Citroen.Daewoo Nubira? Daihatsu Sirion? Even the Proton Satria? These forgotten cars all sold in the thousands back then.Giants like Kia and Hyundai have come a long way, too. The brands once known for the Excel or Accent, plus the Kia Rio in its most ‘cheap and cheerful’ phase (RIP) are now global powerhouses with new technology and reliability commonly in the same sentence as their badge names. Hyundai, at least, was still a top-10 player back then.Below, there are tables with the most popular models and brands from the year 2000 and the figures we gleaned from the data — note the badge names have been consolidated so that cars with Commodore (for example) includes all body types.Top 10 cars sold in Australia in 2000Top 10 cars brands in Australia in 2000