You probably thought it’d outlive us all, but the current Mitsubishi ASX will finally be replaced in 2023 – at least in Europe.
“Absolutely positive, we already know that the new ASX will appear in early 2023,” Mitsubishi’s PR manager in Czechia, Marek Vodička, told Auto.cz (translated).
The current model has been removed from the company’s Czech configurator, which Auto.cz says is due to production having ended of the vehicle.
This is likely referring to production for the European market, as the ASX remains on sale in markets like Australia, Japan and the US.
“We don’t have any confirmed plans to talk about at this time,” said a spokesperson for Mitsubishi Australia when questioned about the future of the ASX.
Mitsubishi ASX 
Renault Captur
Mitsubishi has previously indicated it’ll launch two new cars based on Renault platforms in 2023 for “selected markets” in Europe, which will be sold there alongside the recently launched Eclipse Cross PHEV.
While one is expected to replace the ASX, the other may be a replacement for the Space Star (aka Mirage).
That points to both models using the CMF-B platform underpinning, among other vehicles, the Renault Clio and Captur.
The plan to introduce these models on Alliance platforms was announced in 2021, a complete reversal of Mitsubishi’s 2020 announcement it’d withdraw from the European market in 2022 to focus on markets like southeast Asia.
Mitsubishi Express 
Renault Trafic
The Renault-based models will have “differentiations that reflect the Mitsubishi brand’s DNA” according to Mitsubishi, however it’s unclear just how differentiated they’ll be.
Looking at Mitsubishi’s existing approaches to model sharing, it could be anything from a straight rebadge (see: Mitsubishi Express v Renault Trafic) to a model with entirely different interior and exterior styling (see: Mitsubishi Outlander v Nissan X-Trail).
Given Mitsubishi has said it will “procure OEM-model vehicles from Renault, best-sellers on the European market which already meet regulatory requirements”, we expect the Mitsubishis to very closely resemble their Renault counterparts.
It remains to be seen whether either of these models will make the trip Down Under, particularly as Mitsubishi’s CEO Takao Kato has said these Mitsubishi models will be manufactured in Europe.
Renault sells the Captur here but not the Clio, and though the Captur is priced in line with other small SUVs developed primarily for the European market, its base price is almost $4000 higher than that of the ASX.
It’s unclear whether there are Japanese production plans for an ASX replacement.
The ASX remains one of Australia’s best-selling small SUVs despite its senior citizen status.
It was introduced all the way back in 2010, though it was facelifted in 2012, 2016 and 2019.
It still rides on the GS/JS platform co-developed with what was then DaimlerChrysler. No Chrysler products use the platform anymore with the discontinuation of the Dodge Journey, leaving just a smattering of Mitsubishi products like the outgoing Outlander.
Peugeot 4008 
Citroën C4 Aircross.
A previous arrangement with what was then Groupe PSA saw the ASX lightly restyled and sold as the Peugeot 4008 and Citroen C4 Aircross.
What was once a Japanese vehicle rebadged by a French automaker, then, may become the opposite.
To the end of October 2021, Mitsubishi has sold 12,087 ASXs here. That puts it in second place in the small SUV segment, ahead of the Hyundai Kona (11,157) and Mazda CX-30 (11,329) but behind the MG ZS family (14,867).
