Mitsubishi ASX 2026 News

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 new-generation Toyota HiLux is among five models that have just learned their safety fate.

Just weeks after Mitsubishi Australia confirmed the second generation of its ASX will arrive in showrooms before the end of the year, there’s been a plot twist for the model overseas.

The new-generation Mitsubishi ASX is expected to come to market with a four-star ANCAP rating.However, the company’s local executives don’t think this will impact the target buyers of the new Renault Captur-based model.The European-market ASX received a four-star rating from Euro NCAP, matching its donor car’s rating.Mitsubishi is expected to have the vehicle assessed by ANCAP but is anticipating the same four-star rating.With most large fleet buyers mandating five stars for their fleets, it means the new ASX won’t attract that business.But the company is targeting private buyers with the new ASX so it’s not concerned about lost sales, according to Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited Product Strategy Manager for SUV/Electrification, Tim Clarke.“Not such a big deal in private buyer space. Like we said, the key attributes that they want are the items we went through in the presentation. So having the technology is one, but having five star rating didn't show up in our research for a private buyer.”The previous ASX, which was on sale from 2010 and discontinued earlier this year, was awarded a five-star rating back in 2014. That rating expired in 2022.Clarke said because it hasn’t had a rating in three years, fleet buyers have not been the target for ASX for a while now.The ASX has gone up in price considerably with the new-gen model and now starts from $37,740 before on-road costs, which is more than the price of the previous-generation’s flagship grade.While the previous ASX was at various points the best-selling small SUV in the country, the company acknowledges that the new model is unlikely to hit those sales highs.Mitsubishi’s GM Product Strategy & Product PR, Bruce Hampel, said while many in the industry recognise that four stars is still a safe car, communicating that to buyers can be challenging.“I guess this is our first foray into four star right? So I guess a few other OEMs are going through the same journey as it becomes more and more, I guess, costly to deliver five star, it really questions the value that it's offering to the customers, and whether a four-star vehicle, which, as you indicated, is an extremely safe vehicle.“A four star on today's protocol is safer than a five star in the last protocol, as you know. But trying to educate the general consumer that that's the case is challenging. Whether it really influences their purchase decision or not I guess is a debate.”Hampel highlighted customer feedback about the intrusive nature of some advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and what Mitsubishi is doing to help that.“What we are seeing a lot of rhetoric now, though, is looking at all the safety features that are available to the customer, and a lot of them are reacting in terms of, this is overly complicated, and we want to be able to just turn things off simply.“We're trying to work on ways to allow customers to customise their use of the ADAS features as well.”Interestingly, the new ASX does not come with a driver monitoring system. Mitsubishi has been criticised for this system in the Triton ute as it’s overly sensitive and, ironically, distracting. The brand issued an update to address the issues earlier this year but the system still intervenes at odd times.“Those type of ANCAP mandated features, I guess, are not being well received at the moment, in the market, and there's lots of pushback to ANCAP to try and moderate… their expectations going forwards.”The ASX won’t be the only four-star ANCAP-rated small SUV in Australia when it hits showrooms. The Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, and hybrid versions of the new MG ZS all have the same rating.While the HR-V is not a massive seller, the ZS is currently the best-selling small SUV in Australia and the Kona is second on that list.

Mitsubishi says it's not concerned that it doesn’t have a hybrid option for its new-generation ASX small SUV from launch.After 15 years on sale, Mitsubishi has just replaced the ageing runabout with a new-gen model that is twinned with alliance partner Renault’s Captur.From launch all three grades are powered by the same 113kW/270Nm 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, without any hybrid assistance.In Europe the new ASX is offered with a mild hybrid and full hybrid powertrain options, as well as the petrol engine.However, Mitsubishi Motors Australia Product Strategy Manager for SUV/Electrification Tim Clarke said hybrid ASX grades are being considered, but they’re not locked in.“So not currently in our product plan. We're looking for a business case to make that a positive,” he said at the recent ASX launch.“At the moment, we've launched a product into the biggest wedge of this mainstream, small SUV . So we'll work with that and continue to improve the product throughout its life cycle.”Data provided by Mitsubishi shows that around 80 per cent of total small SUV sales (sub-$45k segment) last year were for pure petrol models. Hybrids made up just 16 per cent, although that is growing.Other similarly sized small SUVs with hybrid powertrain options include the GWM Haval Jolion, MG ZS, Nissan Qashqai, Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross, Hyundai Kona and Chery Tiggo 4.The new-gen ASX consumes 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres of 91 RON petrol on the combined cycle. The full hybrid in Europe brings that figure down to between 4.7 and 4.9L, a big fuel saving.Hampel said stock of the outgoing ASX had all but dried up but added there may be some dealer stock left across the country.He added that the new ASX has not undergone an Australian tuning program to tailor it to local road conditions.“The vehicle was developed in conjunction with Mitsubishi Motors of Europe (MME). So it was predominantly done and designed between MME and Renault Europe, tuned more for the European conditions."When we evaluated the vehicle down here in Australia, we felt it was actually quite suitable for the Australian conditions as well, so we didn't request any changes.”

The long-awaited replacement for one of the most popular small SUVs in Australia is almost here, with pricing and features revealed for the 2026 Mitsubishi ASX.Mitsubishi has changed the positioning of its baby SUV and it’s now a much pricier proposition than the budget-friendly model it replaces. In turn it also comes with a significantly higher level of tech and safety than the outgoing model ever had.The new-generation ASX is not related to the model it replaces. The original ASX was based on Mitsubishi’s 'GS' platform that underpinned the likes of the last Lancer as well as the recently discontinued Eclipse Cross and more.It was sold in Australia from 2010 until earlier this year, with several facelifts and model year updates throughout its 15-year life.This new version is a rebadged and tweaked version of Alliance partner Renualt’s Captur small SUV, which is not currently sold in Australia. The pre-facelift second-gen Captur was sold in Australia but the refreshed version is yet to be confirmed for sale here.Mitsubishi is offering three grades of ASX and pricing is much higher than the first-gen ASX.Before it was discontinued, the base ASX GS was priced from $26,740, before on-road costs, for the automatic version.Second-gen ASX pricing starts at $37,740 for the entry grade LS, which is about $7K more than the equivalent outgoing LS. The range tops out with the Exceed at $46,490. See tables below for a breakdown of pricing and specification.That means the price of entry for an ASX has increased by more than $10,000. The ASX was known for its value, attracting buyers at the entry-level of the segment. Rivals included the previous-generation MG ZS and GWM Haval Jolion.This pricing puts it more in line with the likes of the Honda HR-V, Nissan Qashqai, Subaru Crosstrek and Toyota Corolla Cross.Powering all ASX grades is a 113kW/270Nm 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission driving the front wheels only.According to Mitsubishi, the new ASX consumes 6.4 litres of fuel per 100km on the combined cycle, which is 16 per cent more efficient than the old, unrelated 2.0L unit from the previous ASX.The ASX will be available in Mitsubishi dealerships from the fourth quarter of this year.• 10.4-inch multimedia screen• Instrument cluster with 7.0-inch display• 17-inch alloy wheels• Electrically adjustable, heated door mirrors• Centre console with armrest• Manual dimming rear-view mirror• Cloth seats • Height adjustable driver seat• Soft-touch steering wheel• Vanity mirrors for driver and front passenger• Cruise control with speed limiter• Eco drive mode• Rear parking sensors• Gloss black door mirrors• Climate control air conditioning• Paddle shift• Smart card• Electric parking brake with auto hold• Dusk sensing headlamps• Rain sensing wipers• Rear view camera• Embedded sat nav and Google built-in, featuring Google Assistant, Google Maps & Google Play• 10-inch digital instrument cluster • 18-inch alloy wheels• Privacy glass• Electric folding door mirrors• Ambient interior lighting• Auto dimming rear-view mirror• Height adjustable driver and passenger seat• Heated steering wheel• Illuminated vanity mirrors • Wireless charging• Instrument panel decoration – gloss black• Drive modes, including 'Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' and ‘Perso’• Panoramic sunroof• Two-tone exterior paint• Frameless auto dimming rear-view mirror• Black leather seats • Heated front seats• Power driver seatThe new-gen ASX is yet to be crash tested by safety watchdog ANCAP.• Driver attention alert• Emergency lane assist• Forward collision mitigation• Lane departure prevention• Lane departure warning• Safe distance warning• Front, rear and side parking sensors• Lane keep assist• Adaptive cruise control• Traffic jam assist• 'Mi-Pilot' - semi-autonomous driving system• Blind spot warning• Rear cross-traffic alert• Safe exit assist The ASX is covered by Mitsubishi’s 10-year/200,000km warranty which is conditional on the owner servicing the car at a Mitsubishi dealership. It also comes with 10 years' capped-price servicing and up to four years of complimentary roadside assistance.

Here's everything we know about Mitsubishi's upcoming next-generation ASX.

Mitsubishi’s new ASX is headed to showrooms soon, but it's missing something important.