French to Taiwanese: The ASX VR-e is the newest electric Mitsubishi

If you’re an avid follower of Mitsubishi Motors, then you might know that the ASX, the brand’s subcompact crossover, has two different versions sold around the globe. There’s the first generation which we saw in our market years ago and continues to be offered in select markets, then there’s the second generation Renault Captur-based version sold in Europe.

Well, a third version has just been revealed for the Australian market, based on the Foxtron Bria from Taiwan, and will be called the ASX VR-e. And yes, it’s named after the legendary high-performance Galant VR-4. Is it appropriate? We hope so as the ASX VR-e will be fully electric.

The Mitsubishi ASX VR-e will be the Japanese automaker’s third battery electric (BEV) crossover after the Renault Scenic e-Tech-based Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross EV in Europe, and the Nissan Leaf-based Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback in North America.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia has not announced final specifications for the ASX VR-e, but the Foxtron Bria which it’s based on has options of a rear-mounted motor making 233 horsepower, paired to a 57.7kWh LFP battery for 516km of range; or a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with a combined 407 horsepower and 466km range from the same size battery.

As for its design, two official images of the Mitsubishi ASX VR-e have been released–one of its exterior and one of its interior, looking very similar to the Foxtron Bria, with minor changes that would identify it as a Mitsubishi such as badging in front and the inside, different lighting signatures, and different alloy wheel designs.

The Mitsubishi ASX VR-e is expected to compete with the likes of the BYD Atto 2 and Kia EV3, among others when it enters showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year. With that somewhat close to now, we don’t have to wait too long for more details on the Mitsubishi ASX VR-e.