Mitsubishi’s North American lineup may be aging, but overseas the brand is showing a different side. The new ASX VR-e is an all-wheel-drive electric hot hatch with 459 hp and roughly 516 lb-ft of torque, enough to reach 60 mph in less than four seconds. That makes it more powerful than the most extreme combustion Lancer EVO ever sold, the UK-only Evo X FQ-440 MR.
The car is not built by Mitsubishi. It comes from Foxconn’s Foxtron automotive arm in Taiwan, a fact the author acknowledges could be seen as badge engineering. But the piece argues that contract manufacturing does not diminish the car’s credentials, pointing to Magna Steyr’s role building the Mercedes G-Wagen and Diamond Star Motors’ production of the original Eclipse and Talon.
With a relatively light 57.7 kWh battery and dual motors, the ASX VR-e is positioned as a spiritual successor to the Galant VR-4 and Lancer EVO. It is currently on sale in Taiwan and Australia, with slower variants offering more range. There is no word on US availability, so the author half-jokes about hoping one shows up under a Christmas tree.