Key highlights:
- ASX VR-e spotted in Wellington ahead of Australia’s Q4 2026 launch
- Four grades confirmed for Australia: LS, Aspire, Exceed and GSR
- Based on the Foxtron Bria’s electric platform sold in Taiwan
Mitsubishi’s upcoming ASX VR-e electric SUV has been spotted on New Zealand roads for the first time, before its Australian arrival later this year. The SUV was photographed on a Wellington motorway as it headed towards Wellington CBD, close to Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand’s head office in Porirua.
Australia will receive the ASX VR-e in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the SUV marks Mitsubishi’s return to the fully electric market after a long break of 14 years.
A production car or test vehicle?
The Wellington example of the ASX VR-e, spotted by a CarExpert reader, sported dealer plates, so its exact status remains unclear – it could be a pre-production assessment vehicle or a production-specification example preparing for the local launch.
The spotted SUV had the same green paint Mitsubishi used in its official images when it revealed the ASX VR-e nameplate earlier this month.
Mitsubishi has already involved its Australian and global teams in the vehicle’s testing and development.
Mitsubishi’s first new EV in more than a decade
The ASX VR-e will become Mitsubishi’s first new EV sold in Australia after 14 years – the company previously sold the i-MiEV locally between 2010 and 2012. Since then, Mitsubishi has concentrated its electrification efforts on plug-in hybrids, including the Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross PHEV.
The VR-e has no mechanical connection to Australia’s existing ASX. The current ASX uses a lightly restyled Renault Captur platform, but the VR-e is based on Taiwanese Foxtron Bria’s architecture. Mitsubishi has applied its own exterior design, interior trim, equipment and chassis tuning and insists the ASX VR-e goes beyond a simple rebadge.
Also read: 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero to debut on September 2 in Australia
Mitsubishi hasn’t revealed the Australian EV’s numbers
The brand has yet to confirm the core details of the Australian ASX VR-e, such as battery capacity, power output, driving range, and charging performance. Foxtron Bria, on whose platform this car is based, uses a 57.7kWh LFP battery, a rear-mounted electric motor producing 171kW, and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive version produces 299kW.
Mitsubishi hasn’t confirmed whether Bria’s specifications will carry across.
Bria’s NEDC range figures stand at 516km for the rear-wheel-drive model and 466km for the dual-motor version, and it also claims DC fast charging at up to 134kW.
Dimensions and possible rivals Down Under
The Bria, on which the VR-e is based, measures 4315mm long, 1885mm wide, and 1535mm tall with a 2800mm long wheelbase; this makes it 5mm longer, 35mm wider and 35mm lower than a Kia EV3, while its wheelbase stretches 120mm further.
The Australian ASX VR-e will sit in a competitive small electric SUV market, and its Chinese rivals could include the BYD Atto 3, BYD Atto 2, GWM Ora 5 and Chery Jaecoo J5 EV, while the MG4 also provides another alternative.
More established rivals include the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV3, which will compete on technology and refinement.
Australian grades and the naming
Mitsubishi Australia has confirmed four grades for the ASX VR-e: LS, Aspire, Exceed, and GSR, but the company hasn’t announced pricing or equipment details yet.
The company is expected to release those details in the coming months, ahead of the EV’s Australian showroom arrival before the end of 2026. Mitsubishi will also launch the Triton-based Pajero in December 2026, reviving the famous off-road nameplate.
The VR-e badge references Mitsubishi’s Galant VR-4 – the high-performance all-wheel-drive sedan which arrived here in 1990.
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