Mitsubishi’s next small SUV set to be determined as talks approach “advanced stage”

Mitsubishi Australia has confirmed it at an “superior stage” with its Jap parent company to search out out what’s going to be its next dinky SUV.

Talking with Chasing Autos at the open of the contemporary-generation Triton ute, Mitsubishi Australia’s CEO Shaun Westcott reflected on the emblem’s dinky SUV lineup at a time when the ASX and Eclipse Deplorable put collectively to celebrate their 14th and eighth birthdays respectively.

Westcott acknowledged serious opinions from Chasing Autos, and commentary from diversified areas, which have concluded the aging devices had been in need of an update, a sentiment whereby he agreed relating to the ASX.

“Let me open by announcing our patrons still think that the ASX is an ideal car”, he acknowledged, pointing to 9176 gross sales recorded in 2023, which is sooner than many competitors, despite the incontrovertible reality that important within the relieve of newer devices such as the Mazda CX-30 (13,115) and Hyundai Kona (11,183).

“Orders and ask a long way outstrip provide, so it’s still an especially contemporary car, nonetheless we also manufacture acknowledge and realise that it’s a long way an older product, and that it does must be refreshed.”

Asked whether or no longer the refresh may per chance be merely but every other facelift for the Eclipse Deplorable and ASX or an all-contemporary replacement, Westcott acknowledged he became as soon as unable to declare at the contemporary time.

Tiny SUVs likely serious in face of NEVS

With dinky SUVs the quickest rising section in Australia, Westcott eminent the importance of being within the section which he acknowledged has most efficient increased with the expected introduction of the authorities’s New Automobile Effectivity Frequent (NEVS), which is likely to favour dinky cars and seriously PHEVs treasure the Eclipse Deplorable.

“We worth the importance of getting a dinky SUV, seriously within the sunshine of any NEVS (New Automobile Effectivity Frequent) and desiring to doubtlessly offset some of our better autos emissions,” Westcott acknowledged.

“Having a dinky SUV now is amazingly crucial to us. And we are actively engaged with our parent company – in an superior stage – in relation to identifying what that product will be.”

A legislated NEVS is expected to incorporate fines for automakers whose instant exceeds a contrivance common limit, despite the incontrovertible reality that offering absolutely electric and hybrid autos can provide some counterbalance for heavy-emitting autos. Be taught more in our dedicated explainer.

The rumour mill aspects to Mitsubishi adopting a instant of better adventure-centered autos within the upcoming years; with a contemporary-generation Delica van doubtlessly due in 2026, Pajero Sport in 2025 and per chance even a exact return of the Pajero to affix the contemporary-generation Triton on sale.

Autos of these sorts have traditionally been heavy emitting, despite the incontrovertible reality that the contemporary Triton has notably been presented with Euro 6b emissions compliance and an AdBlue scheme installed, plus Mitsubishi is asserted to be engaged on hybrid alternate options for all three future autos.

What’s going to be Mitsubishi’s next dinky SUV

Chasing Autos has written a fleshy explainer on this matter nonetheless there are two main candidates for the time being.

The first is the Mitsubishi Xforce, a dinky SUV unveiled finest year in Indonesia that aspects a miles more contemporary interior than the contemporary ASX nonetheless it absolutely lacks serious security know-how and would must be fully re-engineered – to the tune of hundreds of hundreds of bucks – to prove viable for the Australian market, in step with Westcott.

The 2nd is merely to rebadge the Renault Captur as Mitsubishi has already completed in Europe because of the priceless links under the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. The Captur is already compiled for the Australian market so the technique would seemingly be easy.

In the end, there may per chance be an all-contemporary mannequin within the works that we’ve but to stare, which is absolutely likely given the gross sales doable of dinky SUVs and the ask in western and obvious Asian markets for safer and more luxurious devices that are kinder to the setting.