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Renault is committed to bringing in its updated Captur small SUV this year, locking horns with the nearly identical Mitsubishi ASX.
Renault Australia’s facelifted 2025 Captur small SUV is due to land in local showrooms in the second half of the year, competing directly against the closely related new-generation Mitsubishi ASX also due in 2025.
This means customers will have two options in the same class that share much of the same design, interior and equipment, as well as the same CMF-B platform, but not the same badge.
While neither local division of Mitsubishi nor Renault have confirmed specification or engines for either of their respective models, both will be produced in Spain with a variety of powertrains on offer.
Overseas, the Captur is offered with a 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid engine, as well as a plug-in hybrid version with the same displacement.
There is also a turbocharged petrol inline three-cylinder engine, a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel, and a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder in the line-up.
When the Captur was last offered in locally last year, it came with a 113kW/270Nm 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine, which sent drive to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The Captur was discontinued after stock of the pre-facelift model sold through, with local importer Ateco opting to wait until the refreshed version was ready before replenishing local supply.
“The Renault Captur has historically been one of the most popular models in our Australian line-up and dealers have been receiving constant enquiries from buyers asking when the new model is due here, after we sold out of the previous model late last year,” said Glen Sealey, the General Manager of Renault Australia.
“The MY25 Renault Captur is just one of a number of new and updated Renault models around the corner for Renault Australia and we will have more to share on those soon.”
However, ones of the biggest differentiators when choosing between an ASX and Captur is likely to be price.
The outgoing ASX started from $24,990 before on-road costs and topped out at $35,240, while the Captur could be had from $33,000 to $39,500 when it was last available.
Given the ASX sourcing is shifting to Europe, prices all but confirmed to go up, but to what extent is still unknown.
The facelifted Captur arriving later this year is also expected to be more expensive than before, but there could still be a gulf between the Mitsubishi and Renault badged models.
Likewise, warranty is also expected to differ between the two models, with Mitsubishi’s 10-year/unlimited kilometre assurance period (when serviced at the brand’s dealers) comparing to Renault’s five-year/unlimited kilometre offering.
Finally, retail footprint will also have a factor on which small SUV is more popular, as Mitsubishi boasts around 212 dealerships, whereas Renault features a 57-strong footprint.
Of note, the Nissan Juke is also mechanically related, built on the same CMF-B architecture in Sunderland, UK, and features an 84kW/180Nm 1.0-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
This also won't be the first time the ASX shared its basis with a French-branded near twin, or the second.
For about one third of the current model's 15-year lifespan, the Mitsubishi formed the basis of the Citroen C4 Aircross and Peugeot 4008, as the then-PSA organisation raced to catch up with the SUV boom in the early 2010s.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
