Remember the Mitsubishi ASX of yesteryear? The chubby-fied Lancer EX never got a proper successor since it was discontinued in the Philippines towards the end of the 2010s, but it’s managed to lived on in other regions. This time, the nameplate is being revived as an electric crossover destined for the Australian market.
Meet the Mitsubishi ASX VR-e. The name still stands for ‘Active Sports Crossover,’ and the ‘VR-e’ suffix is taken from the Galant VR-4. Under all this legacy naming, however, is a BEV from Taiwanese automaker Foxtron. For those keeping up, this is the second time Mitsubishi has badge-engineered an EV with an old nameplate this year.
Mitsubishi’s announcement didn’t reveal any tech specs for the ASX VR-e just yet, but its donor vehicle (the Foxtron Bria) is known to come in either rear- or all-wheel-drive form. The RWD model makes 229hp, while the AWD boasts 400hp. Both variants come equipped with a 57.7kWh LFP battery, good for 516km or 466km NEDC range, respectively.
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Measuring at 4,315mm long, 1,885mm wide, and 1,535mm tall, the ASX VR-e is a subcompact crossover around the same size as the BYD Atto 2. In Mitsubishi’s own Philippine lineup, it’s roughly the size of the XForce.
So, certainly a lot of grunt for a vehicle of its size. Mitsubishi promises that the “ASX VR-e captures the essence of its namesake through its sporty performance and responsive handling—all made possible through extensive local testing and tuning by Mitsubishi Motors global and regional teams.”
The Japanese automaker plans to introduce the ASX VR-e to Australia in Q4 this year with four trims: LS, Aspire, Exceed, and GSR. Yes, Mitsubishi, we remember all the cool cars you used to have. Nothing indicates that this BEV is making its way to other markets, but do you want to see this new ASX on Philippine roads? Let us know in the comments.
