Mitsubishi is making noise anew, as it continues its electrified journey. The big news now is that it’s gearing up for the return of its iconic VR badge, a couple of letters that tag its performance four-wheel-drive models. This is the Mitsubishi ASX VR-e.
At first glance, it looks like another compact electric SUV joining the now-crowded EV market. But dig a little deeper and the story becomes a little more interesting than it seems. Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand has confirmed that the all-electric ASX VR-e will arrive in the country in the fourth quarter of 2026, bringing back one of Mitsubishi’s most evocative badges in a form nobody would have expected a couple of decades ago.
The letters “VR,” of course, carries some serious Mitsubishi heritage. The letters are most famously associated with the Galant VR-4, the turbocharged, four-wheel-drive sedan that helped establish Mitsubishi as a force in rallying and performance cars. Later, the Lancer Evolution carried that same philosophy forward, combining turbocharging with sophisticated all-wheel-drive systems.
Now, the badge is returning on an electric SUV.
That makes the ASX VR-e an intriguing contradiction. There is no turbocharged four-cylinder engine here, no manual gearbox, and no traditional mechanical 4WD system connecting the axles. Instead, the VR-e represents performance through electric propulsion, with Mitsubishi using the badge to signal a sportier character rather than recreate the mechanical formula that made the original VR cars famous.
Even more curious is where the ASX VR-e comes from.
The vehicle is understood to be closely related to the Foxtron Bria, an electric SUV developed by Foxtron Vehicle Technologies — the automotive company established by Hon Hai Technology Group, better known globally as Foxconn. Pininfarina is also involved in the vehicle’s design lineage, making the ASX VR-e an unusual meeting point between Mitsubishi, Foxtron and one of Italy’s most famous design houses.
That makes the “ASX” badge somewhat deceptive. This isn’t simply Mitsubishi taking its existing ASX and converting it to electric power. It is effectively a different vehicle brought into the Mitsubishi fold, given its own identity and positioned within the brand’s expanding electrification strategy.
And perhaps that’s why the VR-e name makes sense.
Mitsubishi isn’t trying to pretend that an electric SUV is a Galant VR-4. Instead, it is attempting to reinterpret what VR means in an era where performance no longer necessarily comes from displacement, boost pressure and mechanical drivetrains.
Whether enthusiasts will accept that is another matter.
There is something almost amusing about seeing “VR” and “e” sharing the same badge. One paints images of rally stages, turbochargers and four driven wheels; the other suggests silent propulsion, batteries and software.
Yet that tension is precisely what makes the ASX VR-e interesting.
It may not be the VR Mitsubishi fans remember. But perhaps that is the point. The badge has survived by changing with the times — even if the way it gets its performance has changed almost completely.
Autocar’s Take
The ASX VR-e might be one of Mitsubishi’s strangest products in recent memory, and that is precisely what makes it interesting. Bringing the VR badge back on an electric SUV feels almost sacrilegious when its strongest associations are with turbocharged engines, rallying and four-wheel drive.
But perhaps Mitsubishi is deliberately challenging that association. If VR is to survive into the electric era, it cannot simply remain frozen in the past. The bigger question is whether enthusiasts will accept a VR that delivers its character through electric motors rather than turbocharging and mechanical drivetrains.
