Only the nameplate is the same. Otherwise Australia’s ASX is a very different proposition to ours.

INTRODUCTION of a new era Mitsubishi ASX crossover into Australia is starting to happen - but Kiwis can only look, not touch.

The brand-new car (top) whose pricing and specification was announced to our neighbour today is a badge engineering of the Renault Captur.

It became a necessity in March, with introduction of new safety regulations that the elderly Mitsubishi Japan-designed and provisioned model Kiwis have known (seen in silver, directly above) for 15 years failed to meet.

The cost of returning the nameplate there via a European channel is expensive - the price has almost doubled.

NZ avoids this because, though the ‘original’ ASX has reached the end of the road with the Australians - and has also been retired from Japan’s domestic sale - export production continues.

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand therefore plans to keep it on sale into next year. Keeping it for 2027 as well has never been ruled out.

It has explained that the model is being retained because it is a consistent sales star.

The ASX’s market stay is a remarkable feat.

The model we see introduced in 2010, and though there have been two major facelifts and many minor revisions since then, the core technology has never changed.

MMNZ made comment about its intent to hold onto the Japanese model after Australia’s decision was aired.

In March the Porirua-based distributor pointed to how well the car performed in 2024. With 3763 registrations accrued, it was the second-most popular light passenger car.

ASX was also MMNZ’s second best seller last year, behind the Triton utility.

Reece Congdon, MMNZ head of marketing and corporate affairs, said in March that ASX’s evergreen run and not the lack of a suitable alternate was the factor keeping it in the showroom.

Nothwitstanding, the new product for Australia is much more advanced than the car sold here, which is now so old it has outlived its safety rating.

Independent auditor Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, aka ANCAP, now retires scores after six years on grounds by then safety tech has improved to point where old scores become misleading.

ASX got five stars … in 2014.

The NZ line starts at $27,990 in LS here, then climbs to $31,990 in a Black Edition and tops at $35,990 in VRX, also Black Edition, all with a 112kW/200Nm 2.0-litre petrol and constantly variable transmission.

The Australia market car is a massive leap forward - power is from a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, punching out 113kW/270Nm to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The car is more affluent and much stronger provisioned. And it has a strong Euro NCAP rating.

But it lands at a cost. The cheapest one there has climbed by more than $A13,000/$NZ14,810 over the least expensive ‘original’ equivalent. That’s the $A37,740/$NZ42,707 LS. Australia’s range then moves up moves to a $A42,690/$NZ48,630 mid-tier Aspire, and tops out at $46,490/$NZ52,959 for the top-spec Exceed.