The XFC small SUV concept was shown at last October’s Vietnam motor show.
At the time of the XFC concept’s 2022 launch, Mitsubishi Motors President and CEO said there were plans to add an electrified variant to the line-up.
As per the XFC concept, four drive modes – ‘Normal’, ‘Wet’, ‘Gravel’ and ‘Mud’ can be expected for the new small SUV.
Clearly based on the XFC small SUV concept shown at last October’s Vietnam motor show, Mitsubishi Motors has issued a trio of images teasing an “all-new compact SUV” scheduled for production and set to debut at the Indonesia International Auto Show in August this year.
Although a ‘new’ Mitsubishi ASX (actually, a mildly madeover version of the Renault Captur) went on sale in Europe earlier this year, Australia continues to soldier on with a facelifted (for the fourth time) version of the original ASX, which debuted way back in 2010.
Despite its age, the ASX continues to find favour with Aussie buyers, standing as the sixth-best selling small SUV in the country year-to-date, behind segment leaders like the MG ZS and Mazda CX-30, but in front of relative newcomers like the Hyundai Kona, VW T-Roc and even its Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross stablemate.
Initially aimed at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) market, the so-far unnamed new Mitsubishi SUV has been tested and tuned in that region with a focus on “handling rough surfaces or roads flooded by heavy rains”.
At the time of the XFC concept’s 2022 launch, Mitsubishi Motors President and CEO Takao Kato said, “In the future, we plan to add an electrified variant to the line-up and to also roll it out in regions outside ASEAN.
“We hope to grow the model from a vehicle for the ASEAN market to a global strategic vehicle, making it a core model like the sales-leading Xpander crossover MPV,” he said.
Other than the inference that combustion and “electrified” variants will ultimately be offered, at this early stage other specification details are thin on the ground.
The XFC small SUV concept was shown at last October’s Vietnam motor show.
At the time of the XFC concept’s 2022 launch, Mitsubishi Motors President and CEO said there were plans to add an electrified variant to the line-up.
As per the XFC concept, four drive modes – ‘Normal’, ‘Wet’, ‘Gravel’ and ‘Mud’ can be expected for the new small SUV.
That said, as per the XFC concept, expect high ground clearance and four drive modes – ‘Normal’, ‘Wet’, ‘Gravel’ and ‘Mud’. And Mitsubishi has confirmed a collaboration with Yamaha Corporation on the new model’s ‘Dynamic Sound Yamaha Premium’ audio system.
The new SUV is part of an aggressive new product push detailed by Mitsubishi in its five-year strategic plan launched in March this year, including the next-gen Triton, a city-focused Delica Mini people mover, a hybrid version of the Xpander MPV and the Renault Clio-based Colt.
Beyond that a body-on-frame SUV is scheduled for 2025 in parallel with other five- and seven-seat SUVs co-developed with Alliance partners Renault and Nissan. Then pure EVs including a ute and a two-row SUV by 2028.
Keyword: 2024 Mitsubishi ASX: New-generation small SUV coming for Kia Seltos, Mazda CX-3- and MG ZS