Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 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.

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Mitsubishi has confirmed it will unveil a new-generation Eclipse Cross in September, though it’ll be a big departure from the current car.This new Eclipse Cross will be an all-electric SUV that will compete in the European C-SUV segment. This means it’ll be a similar size to the Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan.The Japanese carmaker said this new Eclipse Cross EV will sit alongside the new Grandis and Outlander PHEV in its European lineup.It’ll be built in Europe by Renault Group at its Ampere ElectriCity plant in Douai, France. This essentially confirms the Eclipse Cross EV will be a rebadged Renault.This plant currently produces the Renault Megane E-Tech, 5 E-Tech, as well as the Scenic E-Tech. It’s expected the latter will form the basis of the new Eclipse Cross.This is further confirmed thanks to the short 11-second teaser video Mitsubishi Motors Europe uploaded to social media. It shows the Eclipse Cross EV has the same door handles as the Renault.Mitsubishi has confirmed it will offer two versions of the Eclipse Cross EV. A long-range variant will launch in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by a mid-range version in 2026.The Renault Scenic E-Tech is currently available with two electric powertrain and battery configurations.The standard range version has a single electric motor that produces 125kW and 280Nm and is fed by a 60kWh battery. WLTP claimed range for this variant is 420km.The extended range version has a more powerful 160kW/300Nm electric motor and is fed by a larger 87kWh battery pack. WLTP claimed range for this variant is over 620km.Mitsubishi has confirmed it’ll have a “cutting-edge” multimedia system with Google Built-in, as well as the “latest suite” of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS).Although the new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross EV has been confirmed for Europe, it’s unclear if it will come to Australia.The outgoing Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, along with the current ASX and Pajero Sport were recently axed in Australia as they don’t meet Australian Design Rule (ADR) 98/00, which mandates specific technical requirements for autonomous emergency braking (AEB).The Japanese carmaker has confirmed it’ll launch a new-generation ASX, a rebadged Renault Captur, in Australia at some point.Mitsubishi Australia also recently announced it signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwanese manufacturer Foxtronn to co-develop and sell an EV exclusively for the Australian and New Zealand markets. It’s set to launch in the second half of 2026.Even if the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross EV doesn’t come to Australia, given it’ll likely be based on Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s AmpR Medium (previously CMF-EV) platform, there are already cars on sale locally that are based on it.This includes the Renault Megane E-Tech, and will soon include the Nissan Ariya as this is set to go on sale in Australia later in 2025.

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New Australian Design Rules (ADRs) will begin to bite from March 1, 2025, requiring all new vehicles to be sold with auto emergency braking (AEB) systems. The rules mean major withdrawals from the Australian new-car market but they aren’t quite as widespread as you might imagine, with some manufacturers putting in the effort to keep their cars on the right side of the law. Falling in line with United Nations safety protocols, ADR 98/00 — Advanced Emergency Braking for Passenger Vehicles and Light Goods Vehicles requires the fitment of AEB, a life-saving technology that can automatically apply the brakes if a car senses an impending crash. These systems have various levels of effectiveness but the latest rule change is concerned with being able to detect other cars on the road. The systems must function at least between 10-60km/h and be able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop on a dry road from 40km/h. They must also switch on every time the car is started. This applied to new models of passenger car, light and medium commercial vehicles from March 1, 2023 and will cover all new vehicles imported into Australia from March 1.Mitsubishi is the hardest hit by the new rules, no longer able to sell the Pajero Sport off-road SUV or Eclipse Cross small SUV. The long-running ASX is also affected but Mitsubishi’s small SUV will be replaced by a new model this year.Next casualty is the cut-price Suzuki Ignis, which is not fitted with the technology. A new model, the Fronx, will replace it but probably not at its bargain price. Entry-level Vitaras will also be affected, though the brand did not respond to our query. The Porsche 718 would have been hit by the rule change, but production ceased in September with a new electric generation coming equipped with AEB. Another affordable brand slugged with the need for AEB is LDV, its cheap V80 large van is not equipped with the technology but, like the Porsche, production ended last year and all that’s left is existing stock. The entry trim T60 ute and all G10 van trims also lack AEB. CarsGuide was informed by a spokesperson that both “will meet the upcoming requirements for ADR 98/00”, with more news to share in the coming months. The Toyota Granvia people mover has also been given the chop. Onto the, perhaps unlikely, candidates that are equipped with AEB. Despite their age, these vehicles remain important sellers for carmakers, so it was clearly worth investing.There is none older than the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, over 40 years old its mid-life crisis (or glow-up) saw Toyota add crucial AEB including pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection. Toyota also, a little sneakily, bumped the GVM beyond 3500kg to 3510kg in 2023. The value of this is that the 70 Series becomes reclassified as a medium goods vehicle, allowing it to dodge the latest side impact regulations that would’ve seen an imminent sales stop. The Toyota Fortuner, current HiLux and GR86 manual are all equipped with AEB that permit sale in Australia up to, and beyond, 2026.Another ageing model due for replacement is the Nissan Patrol, though the new version is not due until 2026 the Y62’s many life-cycle updates saw ‘Intelligent Emergency Braking’, an AEB system that can detect cars and pedestrians, way back in 2019.Also worth noting is the British Ineos Grenadier off-roader, the first batch does not have AEB. Cheekily, orders opened in May 2022 (before the mandate for all-new models) but customers didn’t receive cars in bulk until the first quarter of 2023, and Australian media only sampled the cars in December of that year. CarsGuide understands that all Grenadiers and Quartermasters will be equipped with AEB from March onwards.The Australian Government has launched a review into ADRs going forwards now there is no longer local manufacturing to legislate (and protect). The next big active safety ADR change (revised as ADR 98/01) is due in August 2026, when all cars sold must have AEB systems that can intervene if a pedestrian is detected in the path of a vehicle. Some carmakers, including Nissan and Mitsubishi, have called for this to better align Australia’s laws with Europe, Japan and the USA promoting greater affordability and fast-tracking of more efficient models. 

New regulations are about to blast a big hole in Mitsubishi’s Australian line-up.The popular brand has announced the Pajero Sport four-wheel drive and Eclipse Cross compact SUV will be deleted from its range this year.Changes to Australian Design Rules (ADR) from March 1 this year meant the vehicles needed expensive upgrades to its auto emergency braking technology. Mitsubishi Australia boss, Shaun Westcott, said the investment in re-engineering the vehicles to comply with the new ADR was not viable considering the advanced age of the vehicles.A similar issue has caused the retirement of the current ASX small SUV. Mitsubishi Australia has announced a replacement for the ASX is due this year, in the form of the Renault Captur-based European ASX, but there are no imminent replacements for the other two models.Westcott said production of all those vehicles had already ended and the company had ordered significant stock ahead of time to make vehicles available to customers throughout 2025.All three models experienced significant growth in 2024: ASX sales were up more than 34 per cent to 12,330, Eclipse Cross sales were up about 18 per cent to 9221 and Pajero Sport had a stellar year with 7306 sales up more than 31 per cent on the previous year.The three models accounted for more than a third of the company’s sales in 2024, which will make it a challenging year for Mitsubishi in 2025.The new ASX is unlikely to be the same price leader as the current version, with the new model imported from Europe and fitted with improved safety and in-car tech, heavily reworked design and hybrid power. Progress comes at a cost.Westcott said the company would eventually fill the void left by the two models as shown in its 'Momentum 2030' plan.“We have a lot of good product coming, there are a number of significant new models and products in that plan. So we are actually quite excited about the next couple of years.”This was echoed by Mitsubishi Australia's GM of product strategy and PR, Bruce Hampel."These nameplates will be replaced by equivalent — if you want to call it that — vehicles in the coming years," said Hampel."We will continue in those medium, large SUV spaces going forward. It's really the core business here in Australia along with other electrified vehicles in the small, medium SUV spaces."This vehicle won't necessarily be called the Eclipse Cross or Pajero Sport, with the names still up for debate.Westcott said Mitsubishi’s intention was to provide people with vehicles that will help them explore Australia.“The future is very much focused towards off road adventure, four-wheel drive, SUV, large SUV in the portfolio. We’d like to see all of them.”“So in that 2030 plan you’ll see the outline or the silhouette of a large SUV. And I know there have been some spy photos, some of you guys have picked them up, of the Pajero Sport replacements running around in mule form.“We are doing a lot of work on a lot of platforms and a lot of models, so that 2030 Momentum plan includes a number of new products that you’ve seen the silhouette of that we are working on. There’s a lot happening at the moment,” he said.Westcott said electrification for those vehicles was “absolutely” in the brand’s future.The company’s global CEO has previously announced some form of electrification, which includes mild-hybrid, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric, in 50 per cent of all models by 2030 and all of its vehicles by 2035.

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