The Mitsubishi ASX VR-e marks the return of the automaker’s VR badge, but this time the name is attached to an electric crossover rather than a performance-focused sedan. The new EV is Mitsubishi’s first new electric vehicle for Australia and New Zealand in more than a decade, with its arrival confirmed for later this year.
The VR Name Returns on an Electric Crossover
The VR badge previously appeared on the Galant VR-4, which became known for its performance focus and Viscous Realtime 4WD system. The ASX VR-e takes the name in a very different direction, using it on an electric crossover.
Underneath, the ASX VR-e is essentially a Foxtron Bria, one of Foxconn’s automotive projects, wrapped in a design created by Pininfarina.
Mitsubishi ASX VR-e Performance and Range
Mitsubishi has not yet revealed the full specifications for the ASX VR-e, but the Foxtron Bria provides an indication of what the electric crossover could offer.
Rather than the traditional 4WD system associated with the VR-4 name, the EV is offered with either a single rear motor producing 229 hp or a dual-motor setup generating around 399 hp.
The dual-motor version can reportedly accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, while the rear-wheel-drive model takes 6.8 seconds.
Both versions use a 57.5-kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery. Foxtron claims up to 321 miles of NEDC range for the rear-drive version and 290 miles with all-wheel drive.
Under the WLTP testing standard, those figures fall to about 267 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The battery can also charge from 10% to 80% in about half an hour at 134 kW.
ASX VR-e Interior and Dimensions
The ASX VR-e measures about 170 inches long, 74 inches wide and 60 inches tall, with a 110-inch wheelbase.
Inside, the electric crossover is expected to feature a 15.6-inch infotainment display and a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Other expected equipment includes power seats, a 360-degree camera, a glass roof and mood lighting.
Australia and New Zealand Get the ASX VR-e First
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand and Australia have confirmed that the ASX VR-e will arrive toward the latter part of the year.
Mitsubishi has not announced an official Australian price, although the vehicle is expected to cost around AU$40,000, or about $28,000. That would place it among the Chinese EVs already available in the Australian market.
Will the Mitsubishi ASX VR-e Come to the U.S.?
The ASX VR-e’s future in the U.S. remains unclear. The ASX name was never used in the American market, where the gasoline-powered version was sold as the Outlander Sport.
Mitsubishi has not said whether it plans to bring the new electric crossover to the United States.
If that changes, the ASX VR-e would join the Eclipse Sportback EV, which is essentially a Nissan Leaf in disguise, as another Mitsubishi electric vehicle option.
For now, the Mitsubishi ASX VR-e is set to make its VR-badged return in Australia and New Zealand, bringing the nameplate into Mitsubishi’s electric-vehicle lineup.
