Mitsubishi stops importing its budget hatchback as side-impact rules force multiple manufacturers to pull the brakes on non-compliant models.
The cheapest car you can buy in Australia has been axed.
Updated Australian Design Rule (ADR) regulations have forced Mitsubishi Australia to stop importing its small Mirage hatchback. It is the enforcement of new side-impact safety ratings that see the axed finally come down, and multiple other models such as the Nissan GT-R are in the same boat.
While the rule enforcement, which came effective from November 1 2021, means no manufacturer is allowed to import and sell vehicles that don’t meet the new ADR, vehicles imported and complied (with a compliance sticker) prior to that date can continue to be sold. That means Mitsubishi dealers around Australia will continue to sell the model until stock dries up.
Like with the Nissan R35 GT-R, manufacturers can sell the vehicle again as long as they meet the new ADR regulation. This will likely happen with new-generation models of those vehicles, meaning the Mirage, the GT-R and other axed models should come back as the new generation versions are rolled out.