The all-new 2026 Mitsubishi ASX has launched in Australia, where the small SUV range has been slimmed down to three grades and a single, more efficient turbocharged petrol engine.
But despite the new ASX being based on the Renault Captur, Mitsubishi Australia has chosen not to offer the model with a hybrid powertrain at this stage – despite the Captur being available with both mild-hybrid and full hybrid technology in Europe.
“So [the hybrid ASX is] not currently in our product plan,” Tim Clarke, Product Strategy Manager, told media at the model launch.
“I guess we’re looking for [a viable] business case to make that a positive.”
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While the new ASX is “neutral” under the Australian government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) – which can mean financial penalties for car manufacturers selling cars above thresholds for tailpipe emissions – Mr Clarke says the company needs to ensure its portfolio is compliant.
“[Hybrid] is coming on future products,” said Mr Clarke, but he stopped short of revealing details.
“We’d love to have electrification [for ASX] at some point, but we’re working on a business case to make that happen.”
Bruce Hampel, General Manager of Product Strategy, explained the cost of a hybrid version also has to be considered.
“I think more as the NVES penalties ramp up over time, we’re going to be forced to do the transition out of [internal-combustion engines] into the hybrid technology,” he said, but he cautioned that will lead to “high-cost products” for consumers.
“So, we’re trying to balance as best we can.”
The all-new Mitsubishi ASX was announced with a price hike of more than $13,000 for the entry-level variant, compared to the outgoing model – which had been on sale for 15 years.
