Mitsubishi has unveiled a new small SUV, but how come very few on this side of the globe have heard of it?
The 2024 Mitsubishi XForce recently broke cover at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS), bringing a stylish design but relatively rudimentary equipment.
On paper, Xforce seems like a candidate to become the next-generation ASX for markets other than Europe, which gets a rebadged Renault Captur. Xforce packs a 76-kW, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and CVT pairing borrowed from Xpander, a seven-seater MPV designed primarily for ASEAN markets.
And that's also where Xforce will be heading when deliveries commence within the year, with New Zealand and Australia curiously left out.
There's a good reason, as Mitsubishi Australia has reportedly stated it cannot procure and sell the same Xforce set for Southeast Asian countries due to safety regulations.
The ANCAP currently has stricter emmissions and safety requirements versus the ASEAN NCAP, making it particularly challenging to adapt Xforce for markets down under.
Mitsubishi says it is consulting with its Japanese headquarters regarding the future of ASX. It could either bring in the rebadged Captur or re-engineer Xforce to comply with stricter safety standards. The latter choice will cost time and money, things the company is unsure it can commit.
For those reasons, Xforce (as the second-gen ASX) likely won't arrive in Australia and New Zealand anytime soon.
Potential Kiwi buyers will miss out on features like a 222 mm ground clearance, 18-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a digital driver's display, and an eight-speaker Yamaha sound system.
It also features Active Yaw Control (AYC), a feature that will sound familiar to fans of the Lancer Evolution. AYC actively splits torque between the left and right front wheels, providing more control during high-speed cornering.
At any rate, Mitsubishi will have to move soon, as ASX, at 13 years old, is getting quite long in the tooth. It's still available locally, starting at $27,990 before the Clean Car Fee.
