Finally, a Mitsubishi ASX replacement? Renault Group will build the next Mitsubishi small SUV on its compact EV platform for a 2025 launch - report

Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo has confirmed a new global Mitsubishi small SUV is on the way, which will be electric and built on a platform shared with the Group's eponymous French brand.

When discussing the connections between the new Ampere venture and other Renault Group brands like Nissan, de Meo said Ampere will provide "solutions for the entire Group", with a slide highlighting its applications for EV tech and manufacturing for Alpine, Renault, Dacia, Nissan and Mitsubishi.

"On top of that, I can confirm that Mitsubishi will produce a C-SUV EV for the world on the Ampere medium platform. Of course, in Douai [France], and of course all-electric. And this is, in our opinion, only the beginning," he said at a Renault Group market day focused on launching its new Ampere electric car arm.

The confirmation follows months of (outward, at least) uncertainty regarding the future of the Mitsubishi ASX, a now-13-year-old model that's been replaced in Europe by a new generation.
But Europe's new generation of ASX is actually just a rebadged Renault Captur small SUV, and Mitsubishi Australia isn't going to do the same here.

At the time the ‘new ASX' was announced for Europe, Mitsubishi Australia boss Shaun Westcott told CarsGuide the local arm wouldn't necessarily follow the international lead.

"Our primary goal at Mitsubishi Australia is to develop and bring to market vehicles that are relevant and appropriate, but still have that distinctiveness about them that make them uniquely Mitsubishi that appeals to our target market," he said.

"Quite frankly, what appeals to a Renault buyer and what appeals to a Nissan buyer might be completely different."

For some time, there was also rumour that the production version of the brand's XFC concept would replace the ASX, though that was quashed as it was revealed the model was targeted at ASEAN markets and won't meet local ADRs.

"Having an ASX replacement is very important for us," Mitsubishi engineering boss Hiroshi Nagaoka told media earlier this year.

"We're doing everything we can to get an ASX replacement. You heard from Kato-san himself, they're working very hard to get a vehicle for us. It's not a simple answer. It's a complex issue.

"There's the XFC concept, and there's the Renault Captur re-badge. What hasn't been explained yet is that those are the bookends. It's not two absolutes, it's not that-or-that."

Expect more details surrounding the electric small SUV next year, closer to the expected 2025 launch.