The new Renault based 2026 Mitsubishi ASX It may not have been the Japanese brand’s first choice, but in a market fraught with uncertainty, ensuring there was a suitable replacement for the 15-year-old but still popular small SUV was crucial.
In conversation with Daily Sparkz At the launch of the new ASX – which is based on the Renault Captur – Mitsubishi Australia executives all but confirmed the vehicle was a stopgap solution before a “real replacement” could be developed.
Since the previous ASX has been on sale since August 2010, we asked Bruce Hampel, general manager of product strategy at Mitsubishi Australia, why a replacement model wasn’t developed sooner – or whether it might have been a stillborn project that never saw the light of day.
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“I can’t really say anything about it – but you’re on the right track,” said Mr Hampel Daily Sparkz.
“In some ways (the new ASX) filled the need to have an offering in this space until we can probably develop the true replacement for ASX.”
But while the all-new ASX has only just launched in Australia, the Renault Captur on which it is based is already halfway through its expected model life – first launching in Europe in 2019.
“We needed a product in the small SUV space and we needed one that met the requirements of the European ASX… which Europe had already developed (to our standards). It was the logical choice for us just to make sure we had a consistent flow or presence in the small SUV space,” Mr Hampel explained.
ABOVE: The previous generation Mitsubishi ASX.
“Where we want to be with this space in three to five years in the future is, in my opinion, still up for debate.
“But as far as your time frame is concerned, you’re right, right? We’re in those discussions right now. What will the longer-term perspective look like in our small SUV space?” said Mr. Hampel.
Part of the challenge, Mr Hampel added, is that Australia is “a very dynamic market at the moment” and the brand must try to anticipate future federal government regulations.
Due to changes to Australia’s design rules, Mitsubishi’s model range has been significantly reduced, with the carmaker now only having the Triton ute, mid-size Outlander SUV and new ASX in its portfolio – once existing stock of its larger Eclipse Cross small SUV and Pajero Sport off-road SUV sells out.
“I think from our perspective, at the end of the final (life) cycle of this product, whatever that may be, we want to have another product that can replace it,” said Tim Clarke, senior product and program manager Daily Sparkz.
“We don’t want to have any blackouts or gaps and are talking to our parent company about what this replacement – the successor product – will be.
“As Bruce said, there is a lot of volatility in the market at the moment. Will electrification, including around ANCAP – (a five-star safety rating) continue to be the requirement going forward?
“We now have to make assumptions and incorporate them into the business cases to figure out what the product will end up being,” Mr Clarke said.
Although it appears the new-generation ASX won’t launch in Australia for less than five years, the automaker says it hasn’t confirmed its product plans yet.
Last month, news of the sudden resignation of Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott emerged just days before VFACTS data showed the company sliding down the national sales charts.
Read our first test report on the new Mitsubishi ASX here.
MORE: Explore the Mitsubishi ASX showroom
