We thought Mitsubishi decided to sell rebadged Renault, in Europe, because not able to provide a good electric car. We were wrong: the Mitsubishi ASX VR-e is a cool electric car, designed by Pininfarina. It’s not an Eclipse (its name was destroyed within the last 10 years), and not even a Lancer, but damn if we would like to see it in person.
This electric SUV developed for the Australian market, but we still hope the brand decide to bring it to Europe.
Built on a Foxconn platform
The ASX VR-e marks a notable shift for Mitsubishi. It is based on the Foxtron Bria, a model developed by Foxtron Vehicle Technologies, the automotive arm of Taiwanese group Foxconn, best known for assembling the iPhone.
Mitsubishi has applied its own chassis tuning to the crossover, while the exterior design comes from the Italian studio.
465 hp and all wheel drive
At the top of the range sits the ASX VR-e GSR, with 465 hp and 700 Nm of torque. On paper, that makes it one of the most powerful road going Mitsubishis ever built. The 0 to 100 km/h sprint takes 3.9 seconds, and two electric motors provide all wheel drive.
Torque is managed dynamically. In normal driving mode, power is split 50:50 between the front and rear axles. Switching to Sport mode shifts the balance to 30:70, sending most of the output to the rear wheels for a more playful character.
What VR-e and GSR mean
The names are a deliberate nod to the past. VR-e recalls the Galant VR-4, a car that helped build Mitsubishi’s rally reputation before the Lancer Evolution took over that role.
GSR is also a heritage badge, used across several generations of the Evo.
No Lancer Evolution revival yet
Anyone hoping the new SUV signals the return of the Lancer Evolution will be disappointed. Mitsubishi president Keisuke Kishiura has described the Evo as one of the company’s treasures and said he would like to see historic nameplates such as the Galant and Diamante return. For now, however, no concrete plans exist to revive any of them.
The ASX VR-e is aimed at Australia, and there is currently no indication of a launch in Denmark, Sweden or Norway.
