Mitsubishi ASX VR-e detailed for Australia: 342kW GSR tops four-grade EV lineup, price and range still unconfirmed

Mitsubishi details its return to the EV market

Mitsubishi Motors Australia has released detailed specifications for its incoming ASX VR-e electric small SUV, confirming a four-grade lineup and a showroom arrival late in 2026. GoAuto reports the Taiwanese-built model marks Mitsubishi's return to the Australian battery-electric market for the first time since the pioneering i-MiEV, and will be offered in LS, Aspire, Exceed and GSR grades. ²

Chasing Cars notes Mitsubishi announced the ASX VR-e as Australia-bound in August, and has now published most details — except two it identifies as the most important: range figures measured under the WLTP cycle and price. GoAuto likewise reports that pricing, driving range and final Australian specification details are expected closer to the late-2026 launch. ¹²

The model was developed with Foxtron Vehicle Technologies, the electric vehicle arm of Foxconn, and is manufactured in Taiwan by Yulon Motor, according to GoAuto. It is based on the same architecture as the Foxtron Bria and forms part of Mitsubishi's Momentum 2030 strategy. Chasing Cars describes the ASX VR-e as a rebadged Foxtron Bria with no mechanical connection to the petrol ASX, which is itself a rebadged Renault Captur. Australia and New Zealand are the Bria's first export markets. ²¹

Mitsubishi Motors Australia chief executive Shunichi Kihara framed the launch as broadening the company's local powertrain offering: "The ASX VR-e is part of our commitment to deliver customers a range of powertrains to meet ever-growing mobility requirements across Australia," he said, in comments published by GoAuto, calling it "a return to the BEV segment for Mitsubishi Motors, who pioneered with the i-MiEV over 15 years ago". ²

Powertrain: two motors, one headline act

All Australian ASX VR-e variants use a 57.7kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, as reported by Chasing Cars, accepting DC charging at up to 134kW and AC charging at up to 6.6kW. GoAuto confirms all variants support CCS2 DC fast charging to 134kW with Type 2 AC capped at 6.6kW, and that vehicle-to-load capability is standard via the external Type 2 charging port. ¹²

In the LS, Aspire and Exceed grades, a single rear-wheel-drive motor produces 171kW and 350Nm, with a claimed zero to 100km/h time of 6.8 seconds — figures reported consistently by both Chasing Cars and GoAuto, citing Mitsubishi. ¹²

The GSR flagship adds a front-mounted second motor for all-wheel drive, lifting combined output to 342kW and 700Nm and cutting the claimed 0–100km/h time to 3.9 seconds. Chasing Cars reports that makes the GSR the quickest Mitsubishi ever officially sold in Australia, dethroning various Lancer Evolutions. In Sport mode the torque split shifts from the default 50:50 to a rear-biased 30:70, per GoAuto; Eco, Comfort and Sport are the three drive modes across the range. ¹²

Range is an open question for Australia. Chasing Cars reports Taiwanese-market claims of 516km for rear-drive variants and 466km for the GSR, but cautions those were measured under the more optimistic NEDC cycle. CarExpert reports that in New Zealand the WLTP range is 380–403km for rear-drive grades and 328km for the GSR — figures that have not been confirmed for the Australian model. GoAuto adds that Mitsubishi has yet to confirm an Australian DC charging-time figure, although the closely related Foxtron Bria was previously quoted with a sub-30-minute 10–80 per cent charge. ¹⁵²

Sizing, styling and equipment

The ASX VR-e measures 4315mm long, 1885mm wide and 1535mm high on a 2800mm wheelbase, per GoAuto. Chasing Cars compares that with the petrol ASX — 77mm shorter, 88mm narrower and 40mm taller — and notes CarExpert reports the SUV is similar in size to the Kia EV3. The Pininfarina-penned body features an 'S-Duct' front-end, air curtains, active grille shutters and flush door handles, with GoAuto reporting a drag coefficient of 0.26 in Foxtron guise, matching the figure CarExpert cites. ²¹⁵

Inside, a 15.6-inch central touchscreen and 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster are standard across the range. GoAuto reports the system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, natural-language climate commands and over-the-air updates, with physical switches retained for climate control, hazard lights and demisters — a detail Chasing Cars highlights as Mitsubishi resisting minimalism. GoAuto adds Connected Car Services will be available from launch. ²¹

Standard equipment on the LS includes 18-inch wheels, five-stage regenerative braking with a full one-pedal setting, cloth trim, dual-zone climate control, six-speaker audio and a driver monitoring system, per GoAuto. Chasing Cars says all models get rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, two-zone air conditioning, lane-following adaptive cruise control and a tyre pressure monitor. ²¹

The Aspire grade adds artificial leather trim, powered and heated/ventilated front seats with memory, 64-colour ambient lighting, surround-view cameras, adaptive driving beams and autonomous parking, according to GoAuto. The Exceed brings 20-inch two-tone wheels, a panoramic glass roof, hands-free powered tailgate and a 12-speaker SEAS audio system, while the GSR adds microsuede upholstery with blue stitching and a two-tone exterior with black roof — equipment also outlined by Chasing Cars for the corresponding grades. ²¹

Safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control with lane following, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot detection, lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition and traffic jam assist, as detailed by GoAuto. Six exterior colours are listed: Stealth Black, Solstice Red, Pacific Blue, Magnetic Grey, Polar White and Sage Green. ²

Pricing: still unannounced, with signals from the CEO and New Zealand

Mitsubishi Motors Australia has not announced Australian pricing. Mitsubishi chief executive Shunichi Kihara told Australian media, including CarExpert: "No, we won't be the cheapest. We won't be the cheapest option in the market," adding the competition is not simply on pricing but on "many other aspects of automotive business" and Mitsubishi's "customer experience". CarExpert reports this positioning was offered earlier in September, with local pricing yet to be confirmed. ⁵

CarExpert has published New Zealand pricing as a guide: the single-motor rear-drive LS opens at NZ$57,990 (about A$46,800) before on-road costs, topping out at NZ$72,990 (about A$58,900) plus on-roads for the dual-motor GSR. That makes the base price higher than New Zealand's entry-level Kia EV3 and above the most affordable top-spec MG S5 EV, with the BYD Atto 3 in that market at NZ$49,990 plus on-roads. ⁵

For Australian context, CarExpert notes the ASX VR-e starts about NZ$6000 above the cheapest Outlander, which opens at $39,990 plus on-road costs in Australia, while the updated BYD Atto 3 Evo ranges from $41,990 to $46,990 plus on-roads here. Chasing Cars, writing before New Zealand pricing emerged, framed the comparison differently: the petrol ASX starts at $37,740 before on-roads, and an electric ASX priced slightly higher would sit level with the Hyundai Kona electric range from $46,000 before on-roads, against drive-away MG4 pricing of $39,990 for the original and $31,990 for the Urban. These figures are drawn from different outlets at different times and bases, and Australian pricing remains unconfirmed. ⁵¹

The New Zealand lineup uses XLS as its second trim where Australia will use Aspire, per CarExpert, with the rest of the grades common to both markets. ⁵

Warranty, timing and market context

GoAuto reports the battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km against material and manufacturing defects, with Mitsubishi's Battery Capacity Care Program guaranteeing at least 70 per cent usable capacity over that period — a warranty Chasing Cars also records. The vehicle carries Mitsubishi's 10/10/10 Diamond Advantage program: a conditional 10-year/200,000km new-car warranty, 10 years of capped-price servicing and 10 years of roadside assistance, per GoAuto. ²¹

CarExpert reports the ASX VR-e will be Mitsubishi Motors Australia's first EV since the i-MiEV was discontinued here in 2012, and that Mitsubishi says local testing and tuning has been carried out in Australia. The name pays homage to the high-performance all-wheel drive Galant VR-4 sold in Australia from 1990 to 1993, according to CarExpert; Chasing Cars separately notes the GSR's performance benchmarks various Lancer Evolutions. ⁵¹

The launch arrives as Mitsubishi leans on external partners for electrification. GoAuto reported in June 2026 that Mitsubishi had shelved near-term development of its own dedicated next-generation battery-electric vehicles in favour of partnerships with companies including Nissan and Foxconn, with president Takao Kato citing a more pragmatic path while global EV demand remained unsettled. ²

CarExpert also notes the timing: electric power was the most popular form of propulsion in new vehicles sold in Australia in August, and Mitsubishi's deliveries to the end of August were down 29 per cent year on year at 30,476 vehicles, leaving it just outside the top 10. The ASX VR-e is described by CarExpert as one of two critical new Mitsubishi models this year alongside the new Pajero. Ground News' coverage roundup similarly reported the model is crucial to help Mitsubishi meet Australia's new vehicle efficiency laws, given a lineup dominated by combustion vehicles. ⁵⁶

Origins: the Foxtron connection

The underlying Foxtron Bria was announced by Foxtron for the Taiwanese market in December 2025, as reported by New Atlas, which describes the Mitsubishi as a slightly modified rebadge with Pininfarina styling. New Atlas says the Bria's base version uses a rear-mounted motor with a 57.7kWh LFP battery and the flagship gets 400hp dual-motor all-wheel drive — figures matching the Mitsubishi's published Australian outputs. ⁴

Carscoops, reporting on the August confirmation, noted the ASX VR-e looks near-identical to the Bria apart from Mitsubishi badging, including a full-width LED light bar and the duct running under the light bar along the bonnet. It quoted Kihara calling the model "a significant milestone in our refreshed Mitsubishi range as the first BEV since the i-MiEV – Australia's first mass-produced electric vehicle". The Bria had previously only been shown in left-hand drive, with the ASX VR-e the right-hand-drive export version. ³

Ground News' aggregated coverage in August also noted the vehicle offers a claimed 516km NEDC range for rear-drive variants and 466km for the AWD, with all versions charging to 80 per cent in roughly 30 minutes — claims consistent with the Bria's Taiwanese specifications rather than confirmed Australian figures. ⁶