Mitsubishi's ASX VR-e Marks a 16-Year Comeback to EVs — and It's the Brand's Quickest Car Yet

Nearly 16 years after the i-MiEV rolled onto Australian roads, Mitsubishi has returned to the electric fold with the ASX VR-e. The new model — an electrified, modernised take on the familiar ASX crossover — made its first Australian appearance this week, and it arrives with a surprising headline stat.

In top-spec GSR form, the dual-motor ASX VR-e dispatches 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. That makes it the fastest passenger car Mitsubishi has ever launched in this market, quicker even than the Lancer Evo X that wore the performance crown in the 2010s.

Key Specs: 57.7 kWh CATL battery · 328 km WLTP (GSR) · 3.9 s 0-100 km/h · 340 Nm from dual-motor setup

Three Single-Motor Options Behind the Flagship

The GSR’s dual-motor arrangement is the headline act, but most buyers will be looking further down the range. Mitsubishi has lined up three single-motor versions, and range varies meaningfully between them:

• LS (base): 403 km WLTP
• Aspire: 398 km WLTP
• Exceed: 380 km WLTP
• GSR (dual-motor): 328 km WLTP

The battery pack is a 57.7 kWh unit supplied by CATL, mounted in a car that Mitsubishi is clearly positioning against Chinese electric crossovers from BYD and MG. Pricing hasn’t been locked in for Australia yet, but if New Zealand figures are any guide, a starting point below AU$50,000 looks plausible. That number will decide a lot.

Pininfarina Styling and a Serious Aero Package

This is not simply an ASX with a plug. Italian design house Pininfarina handled the exterior, and it shows — the VR-e has a low, sleek silhouette that reads very differently from the boxy small SUVs crowding the segment.

Aerodynamic details are everywhere. There’s an S-Duct up front that channels air through the lower bumper and out the top of the nose, active grille shutters that open only when cooling is needed, flush door handles, and alloy wheels shaped to cut drag. The charge port sits on the front right-hand side, just ahead of the driver’s door, with a powered flap.

Cabin Tech and a Long Ownership Story

Inside, the layout leans on a 15.6-inch central touchscreen paired with a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster behind the wheel. Mitsubishi has kept a handful of physical buttons — a sensible call for buyers stepping out of an ICE vehicle for the first time.

The interface itself is arranged differently from what many rivals do, with quick-access controls surfaced rather than buried in menus. Over-the-air update capability is on board too, a first for the brand on this model, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both supported.

Material quality and stitching drew positive notes during the preview, and the ownership package is arguably the bigger draw. The ASX VR-e falls under Mitsubishi’s 10-year warranty through its Diamond Advantage program, backed by capped-price servicing covering 10 scheduled services at 15,000 km or 12-month intervals, up to 10 years or 150,000 km.

That combination matters for fleet customers, many of whom will be putting an EV into service for the first time. First impressions in those accounts tend to travel.

Six single-tone colours and two two-tone exterior options will be offered. Road testing is expected later this year, when the range figures and that 3.9-second claim can be checked against real-world conditions.