Mitsubishi Mirage axed in Australia

The Mitsubishi Mirage will be removed from the company’s Australian line-up, following the introduction of new safety rules.

Mitsubishi has confirmed to Wheels the Mirage will end its run when the final batch of vehicles is depleted, though it’s expected supply will last for months to come.

As reported by sister publication MOTOR in September, the Mirage fails to meet the latest side-impact laws, introduced in November under the Australian Design Rules.

While the new ADR 85 law was first introduced in 2015, manufacturers had until last month to update older models. However, vehicles manufactured prior to the November 1 date can continue to be sold, according to the Department of Infrastructure.

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As Australia’s cheapest new car at $14,990 before on-road costs in ES trim, the Mirage is one of a number of notable vehicles to fall victim to ADR 85. Lexus removed its CT, RC, and IS models from sale, while the Alpine A110 and Nissan R35 GT-R were also axed.

Since 2017, overseas rumours have suggested the next-generation Mitsubishi Mirage would be based on the Renault Clio, as part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, which allows the three carmakers to share platforms.

Introduced in 2019, the latest Renault Clio is based on the CMF-B architecture, which also underpins the Nissan Juke. But while the Clio is no longer available locally (for commercial reasons), Nissan continues to offer the Juke in Australia in compliance with ADR 85.

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If you're in the market for a budget-focused new car, the departure of the Mirage leaves the Kia Picanto S manual as the cheapest factory-fresh car available in Australia, starting at $15,690 before on-road costs. You can check out our reviews of the South Korean city car here.

Other sub-$20,000 new vehicles include the MG MG3 Core automatic ($17,990 drive-away), the Suzuki Baleno GL manual ($18,490 before on-road costs), Fiat's 500 Lounge manual ($18,950 before on-road costs) and Kia's second entry, the Rio S manual ($19,090 before on-road costs).