22 February 2026

The Mitsubishi ASX: the 'French car' for people who aren't brave enough to buy a French car

22 February 2026 | By James Coleman

The 2026 Mitsubishi ASX is basically a rebadged Renault Captur. Photo: James Coleman.

Putting off owning a French car because one day it might decide to do something French and stop working? Well, the Mitsubishi ASX could be the solution.

Thanks to the recent alliance between Mitsubishi, Nissan and Renault, this all-new version of the Japanese mini-SUV is now not very Japanese at all. It’s basically a Renault Captur.

But this also means it’s backed by Mitsubishi’s warranty – one of the longest factory warranties in Australia at 10 years or 200,000 kilometres (whichever comes first).

So yes, while it’s built in Spain alongside its French counterpart, it’s also stamped with Japanese approval. And a Japanese price tag. Is that enough to get you over the line? Maybe.

Photos: James Coleman.

What is it?

The old Mitsubishi ASX was banned from sale in Australia last year by the Federal Government because it couldn’t meet an updated requirement for an autonomous emergency braking system.

And with Renault also gone from Australia, Mitsubishi wasn’t going to be treading on any toes by importing a rebadged Captur.

There are three models: the LS from $37,740, the Exceed from $46,490, and the one I’m driving – the mid-range Aspire – at $42,690. All of them come with a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder, six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and some very good looks. Curvaceous, while also sharp. And thanks to a wider spread between the axles, better proportions too.

The only jarring feature is an ugly plastic lump on the boot lid where a Renault badge once was.

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What it’s like to live with

The new ASX is a vast improvement over its predecessor, which was little more than a raised Lancer, with even less space and poorer handling.

One decision I’m not sure about is the new six-speed dual-clutch. Originally designed for Porsche racecars, it makes sense in something where you want snappier changes than a standard automatic. But an SUV for young singles and retired couples? As it is, the ASX grumbles at low speeds and changes with off-putting roughness.

The rest of the driving experience is predictably ordinary. Not terrible. Not brilliant. Perfectly mediocre. But then, ASX buyers don’t care. They’ll be too busy obsessing over the ‘Eco Rating’. Yep, the car will give you a score out of 100 based on how economically you drive. I scored 70. My colleague Morgan got 94, prompting me to ask if he even started the engine.

Everything is surprisingly easy to find and use for a French car. Photo: James Coleman.

That said, it’s not good on fuel. Certainly not as good as you’d think something with such a piddly engine should be – my average consumption hovered between 7 and 8 litres per 100 km. In last week’s knee-shattering Audi S3 Sportback, I managed to get it down to 8.4 litres – and it doesn’t pretend for a second to care about whales.

Other than that, the only real problems I could find were the rear camera’s image quality, which is similar to what you’d see if a potato were mounted instead, and the lack of space in the rear seats and boot, which rules it out as an Uber. Thankfully, the boot floor lifts to reveal another few centimetres of depth for stowing items larger than a backpack.

Everything else was quite brilliant. The materials are pleasant to the touch, even if there’s a slightly spongey strip across the dash that feels like it’s made of something hitherto unknown to science.

Photos: James Coleman.

Being basically a Renault, the layout and tech could have been weird too, but no. The portrait-style touchscreen is easy to navigate for car and phone settings and offers built-in Google navigation, while AC controls are still given their own row of physical buttons beneath. Just as it should be.

There are some nifty storage options scattered around, maybe stemming from Mitsubishi’s guilty feelings about the boot.

I also need to mention the sound system. I wasn’t expecting much, with no brand names like Bose or Harmon Kardon tacked to the speakers, but it was bassy enough to rattle the rear-view mirror to the point I could barely use it to see out the back window.

The verdict

As with any Mitsubishi, the ASX has to be cheaper than the equivalent Toyota to really make sense. And that’s where it gets a bit close.

Because if you want a similar level of space and style from Toyota, you’re paying from $42,990 for the CH-R or $37,440 for the Corolla Cross. And given these are both hybrids – where the Mitsubishi is more like a fish when it comes to fuel – you’d probably make up the difference in a few weeks. They should really bring in the hybrid option offered overseas.

For now, though, it’s probably safe to say it will still sell better than a Renault.