Mitsubishi has confirmed new Australian regulations will force it to kill off multiple models that will no longer be compliant.
The ancient ASX will be replaced during 2025 with a rebadged Renault Captur already sold in Europe, while the Eclipse Cross, Eclipse Cross PHEV and Pajero Sport will be axed.
The reason is Australian Design Rule 98/00, coming into effect for all new models on sale from March 1, 2025, which outlines specific performance requirements for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems.
While the affected Mitsubishis all come standard with AEB, they don’t meet the requirements of the new regulation.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
It’s unclear how much of a gap there will be between stock drying up of these discontinued models and the arrival of their replacements, but it’s possible the Mitsubishi lineup will be effectively half its size for a period of time.
Beyond these vehicles, Mitsubishi sells only the Outlander, Outlander PHEV and Triton in Australia.
The current ASX, Eclipse Cross, Eclipse Cross PHEV and Pajero Sport are understood to have ended production in December 2024 for our market, though Mitsubishi says it has been able to shore up supply of these vehicles into 2025.
“Given the position of ASX, Eclipse Cross and Pajero Sport in their current life cycles, investment towards the re-engineering of these vehicles to incorporate the new ADRs was not commercially feasible,” said Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited CEO Shaun Westcott.
“As a result, Australian production of these vehicles has ended. This is not unprecedented; we have seen similar situations before, and our teams are well prepared to manage this transition.
“We have worked closely with our dealer partners to ensure each model line will be ordered in sufficient quantities ahead of time. This will support our customers while we continue to confirm our future model plans as a core Mitsubishi market.
“We will announce these future models in due course.”
The company has assured owners there will be ongoing servicing and parts support, while it says its recent acquisition of a five per cent stake in local fleet leasing company FleetPartners Group “further indicates [its] commitment to this region as sales channels and business opportunities continue to evolve”.
-
Future Mitsubishi Australia lineup
A Mitsubishi Motors Australia spokesperson confirmed the company intends to continue having a presence in each segment it currently competes in, which effectively confirms the next-generation Pajero Sport will come Down Under.
Less clear is what, if anything, will replace the Eclipse Cross. It sits in the same small SUV segment as the ASX, though notably the upcoming ASX’s Renault Captur cousin is classified as a light SUV in VFACTS industry sales reports.
Mitsubishi has previously released a shadowy teaser image of what its local lineup will look like in the future.
ADR 98/00 is based on United Nations Regulation No. 152, which requires autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems to be able to detect another vehicle and apply the brakes if necessary at speeds of between 10 and 60km/h, and between 20 and 60km/h for pedestrians and cyclists.
The regulation also specifies it shall not be possible to manually deactivate the system at a speed above 10km/h, though vehicles can offer an automatic override for situations such as off-road use so long as these scenarios are clearly communicated to the owner.
ADR 98/00 covers MA, MB, MC and NA vehicles. The MA category covers passenger vehicles, while MB vehicles are people movers like the Kia Carnival, MC vehicles are off-roaders like the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and NA vehicles are light goods vehicles like Mitsubishi’s Triton.
This isn’t the first time an ADR has forced Mitsubishi to kill off a model.
Tougher side-impact regulations under ADR 85/00, which came into effect for all new vehicles from November 1, 2021, saw Mitsubishi axe the Mirage.
However, Mitsubishi still delivered 862 examples of the Mirage during 2022 as the vehicles had been complied before the regulation came into effect.
ADR 98/00 isn’t the last new AEB-related ADR to come into effect, with ADR 98/01 mandating pedestrian detection. It came into effect on August 1, 2024 for all vehicles launched on or after that date, and will apply for all new vehicles on sale from August 1, 2026.
MORE: Everything Mitsubishi ASX
MORE: Everything Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
MORE: Everything Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
