Mitsubishi’s ASX has been a smash hit in Australia for more than a decade and at one point was the most popular small SUV on sale.
Even in the face of fresh rivals the 14-year-old ASX is still selling solidly in Australia, with more than 6000 units finding a new home through the first six months of this year.
The ASX benefits from Mitsubishi’s reputation for bulletproof reliability and its current conditional 10 year warranty offer to help drag buyers away from newer and shinier machines.
But movements are being made to remake the ASX for the modern era.
Mitsubishi recently announced its “Momentum 2030” strategy that will see it revolutionise its entire range with new hybrid and electric models.
“We will offer not only battery electrics but also plug-in hybrids and hybrids, and introduce appropriate products that will meet the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) set by the Australian government,” said Mitsubishi Motors Corporation President and CEO Takao Kato.
Mitsubishi teased its future range.
The company showed a shadowy image displaying its future model line-up with one sporting a distinctly ASX-sized silhouette.
So what does this mean for the ageing ASX? This is what we know so far.
What engine will the 2025 Mitsubishi ASX use?
Mitsubishi is expected to lean heavily on its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology for future models such as the ASX. The Japanese brand already fits its PHEV technology to the Eclipse Cross and larger Outlander SUVs in Australia.
The Japanese brand has been one of the leaders in plug-in hybrids for years and has the tech ready to rumble, so a PHEV ASX would be a logical move to skirt around the impending NVES restrictions due to start next July.
PHEVs are expensive, though, as they pair a conventional petrol motor with an electric motor and a sizeable battery to deliver an electric-only driving range of up to 100km.
This means the next-generation ASX should also come in conventional hybrid form, similar to that found in current Toyotas and Hyundais.
Australians are hooked on hybrids, with sales of the petrol-electric models surging 113 per cent so far this year.
Toyota also recently switched its entire range of passenger cars – with the exception of the high-performance GR models – to hybrid only.
Expect Mitsubishi to follow suit, so you can say goodbye to the wheezing non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine of the current versions.
Current Mitsubishi ASX interior
Mitsubishi has the ability to pump out small hybrid SUVs thanks to its alliance partners – Nissan and Renault – that both have compact hybrid SUVs in the form of the Renault Symbioz and Nissan Qashqai. Both of those models are built in right-hand drive, too.
The Symbioz’s set-up is the most likely. It uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a 1.2kWh battery and a pair of electric motors to make 106kW and drink just 4.6L/100km.
What will the 2025 Mitsubishi ASX look like?
Mitsubishi hasn’t given any indication of what the next-generation will look like beyond the shadowy silhouette from its “Momentum 2030” strategy briefing.
This image gives us a few clues on the overall shape and the headlight signature, but the rest we can piece together from the rest of the brand’s range and future concepts.
The current ASX has a boxy shape but our render of the new version shows a more svelte body, which is more in line with top-selling compact SUVs such as the Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan Qashqai and the recently debuted Renault Symbioz the ASX could share its underpinnings with.
2025 Mitsubishi ASX render. (Source: Thanos Pappas)
The triangular headlights are borrowed directly from the shadowy preview image and the lattice work grille and chunky guards give off Toyota RAV4 vibes, which was the second best selling car in 2023 globally so why not emulate the king.
Black cladding covers the bottom of all the exterior panels and flash 19-inch alloy wheels add some pop.
We won’t know exactly what the next-generation ASX will look like until it is revealed towards the end of this year or early in 2025.
How much will the 2025 Mitsubishi ASX cost?
New generation cars rarely get cheaper, especially when they add a mass of new tech and advanced hybrid set-ups like the ASX will.
Currently the ASX range starts at a lowly $24,990 (before on-road costs) and rises to $35,240 for the full fruit Exceed variant, which is a big part of its long time success.
If the new ASX hybrid is to be successful it’ll need to undercut the popular Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid range that currently starts at $36,480 (before on-road costs).
Any plug-in hybrid versions are likely to be priced from the mid-$40,000 range.
When will the 2025 Mitsubishi ASX go on sale?
The next-generation ASX is likely to hit showrooms in the second half of next year.
Automotive News in the US has claimed Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid small crossover will launch in the second half of 2025.
Australia has been classed as a core market for Mitsubishi so we are likely to be one of the first in line to grab the updated ASX.