Mitsubishi is at a turning point, both in terms of its line-up in Australia, which is about to be mostly refreshed with new models, and its position as a global automaker, as its role in the alliance with Renault and Nissan takes shape.
A new Triton, and subsequently, new Pajero Sport are confirmed to be on the way and to be revealed imminently, and the two ladder-based vehicles will join the Outlander launched last year to reveal the shape of Mitsubishi into the future.
But with the current and very popular ASX and Eclipse Cross reaching the end of their natural lives soon with no successors in place, will the Japanese giant’s line-up drop to just three models in Australia?
“Of course not,” said Koichi Namiki, Executive Officer of Product Strategy, speaking to Australian media in Japan. “We will consider something [to replace ASX], it’s difficult to say, basically we’re not assuming a gap for the product.”
“Our desire for Australia is to have a range of products which attract customers. The idea is to focus on the SUV area.”
One of the biggest issues facing the brand is the fact that it is being torn in two directions. On the one hand, it wants to focus on new hybrid and EV tech, but on the other its place in the alliance has it focusing many of its upcoming models on South East Asia, where combustion models are still king.
Even still, Mitsubishi’s Australian division is looking beyond the popular SUV segment and to other models to refresh its line-up in the next few years and add fresh appeal and new customers for the brand.
So what could a future Mitsubishi line-up look like two or three years from now? Let’s see based on what we know.
eK X EV
Why: Mitsubishi Australia wants it, and it could be the cheapest EV in Australia
The eK X EV is being looked at by Mitsubishi’s local division as an option for the Australian market. If it did come here, it would be quite unique, as it is a car made to fit Japanese Kei regulations, making it even smaller and boxier than the Kia Picanto.
Specs wise you can expect a 20kWh battery pack good for an 180km driving range, a four-seat interior layout and just 47kW/195Nm outputs from its electric motor, but impressive cabin tech. The key selling point though is that it could be Australia’s cheapest EV, costing from about $23,300 in its home market of Japan.
While it might make a quaint replacement for the Mirage small car, the key factor holding Mitsubishi back is the high likelihood of a sub- five-star ANCAP safety rating.
Likelihood: Moderate
Delica
Why: It appeals uniquely to the Australian market, and the current one is here testing
Mitsubishi admitted to us that it had a current-generation Delica in Australia for testing purposes, indicating that it was very keen to expand on its range in Australia. Like the ASX and Eclipse Cross though, the current Delica is on an old platform (in fact, the same platform which underpinned the Lancer), and thus is being evaluated for a next-generation proposition.
The current car would make a curious alternative to the dominant Kia Carnival, as it is more off-road focused, complete with raised suspension, a proper 4×4 system and rugged diesel engine. It has also been a popular grey import in the past.
Likelihood: Moderate (but not in current form)
Xpander
Why: It will debut Mitsubishi’s new hybrid system soon, and offers a new bodystyle for the brand in Australia
Mitsubishi offers the Xpander as a popular SUV-like MPV for the South East Asian market. On the face of it, this doesn’t make it a great fit for Australia, especially since it is also on the same dated platform due for retirement as the ASX, but what makes it particularly interesting is that Mitsubishi executives explained it will debut a new plugless hybrid system that could be explored for the Australian market in the future.
It was unclear whether this will debut on the current-generation car, or the next-generation vehicle, although there are multiple cars, both SUVs and MPVs, which Mitsubishi plans to launch int the coming years which will use this new plugless hybrid system.
Likelihood: Low
XFC
Why: Seems like a natural successor for the ASX in Australia
While every image of the XFC concept we’ve seen so far seems to make it a spiritual successor to what we understand as the popular ASX small SUV, Mitsubishi executives said the model wasn’t really earmarked for Australia as it fit into a combustion vehicle pillar of its future plan.
The executives went on to say they see Australia as being more suited to hybrids and EVs, and that a car like the XFC, which would launch as a combustion-only proposition, might not fit that vision.
However, they did not outright rule it out either, saying they hadn’t come to a concrete decision on the future of either the ASX or Eclipse Cross for our market. Certainly, if a hybrid version of this rugged-looking small SUV becomes available, it would be foolish for the brand to look the other way, especially considering the alternative.
Likelihood: Moderate
ASX (European-market second-generation)
Why: It could instantly replace the current ageing small SUV
Speaking of the alternative: This is it. If it wasn’t immediately obvious from the pictures, the second-generation ASX for Europe is merely a badge-swapped Renault Captur. This car comes as an off-the-shelf solution complete with Renault powertrains and even a plug-in hybrid system, but given the ASX reputation, we’d hardly think that this version would be a good fit for Australia.
For Mitsubishi though, it might be the easiest and simplest solution, given the Renault version achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2019. And comes packed with the cabin tech and features which Australian consumers expect from the get-go.
Likelihood: Moderate
Triton EV
Why: We love utes, and we want EVs
One interesting tidbit from Mitsubishis mid-term strategic plan was the confirmation of a battery electric ute in the works. Speaking to Australian media, Koici explained that we could think of this upcoming battery electric ute as “a kind of Triton” explaining that the brand didn’t have the resources to develop more than one pick-up, but that they hadn’t necessarily settled on a name for the EV yet anyway.
The upcoming new-generation Triton will seemingly be tailor-made for the Australian market in the first place, so the Triton EV could be uniquely suited to Australia’s needs, even more than the alternatives, like the Chinese-developed LDV eT60, or American-developed Ford F150 Lightning.
Watch this space.
Likelihood: High
Airtrek
Why: A small SUV EV is the direction most automakers are moving in
Koichi pretty much flat-out said the current Airtrek, which Mitsubishi developed in a joint-venture with China’s GAC to sell in the Chinese market, was not suited for export markets as to suit the needs of Australia, for example, “more development was needed”.
But this hasn’t stopped Mitsubishi from exploring more battery possibilities available in China, like LFP cells which are more cost effective than NMC cells which most automakers are currently using.
Despite being ruled out, the concept of the Airtrek seems to make a lot of sense. It’s a similar size to the current ASX, is fully electric and comes packed with tech as desired by the Chinese market. It could fill an important role for Mitsubishi locally, even if it arrives in some sort of altered form which we haven’t seen yet.
Likelihood: Moderate (but not in current form)
Keyword: Down, but not out! The new SUVs, EVs and hybrids Mitsubishi could use to rejuvenate its entire line-up in Australia