MANILA: The 2020 Mirage Hatchback debuted in Thailand last week, along with its sedan sibling, the Mirage G4. People were generally excited to see its updated exterior, which includes Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield Grill and a sporty new look overall.

Naturally, we all wondered if these subcompacts were arriving in the Philippines next, as that seems to be the trend. Just take a look at the all-new Toyota Vios. Shortly after being launched in Thailand, it came out in Philippine markets.

The good news is that the Mitsubishi Mirage hatch and Mirage G4 will make their way here. The bad news? Sources say it won’t be anytime soon.

It doesn’t seem to make sense. Mitsubishi Philippines has its own production plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. If anything, this should make it easier to release the new models, right?

Well, not quite. It’s true that Mitsubishi’s sole production plant is currently responsible for the assembly of the Mirage hatchback and Mirage G4 sedan. However, both vehicles are enrolled under the government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy Program. This means that most raw materials and car parts used to produce them should be sourced locally.

The Sta. Rosa plant only has stampings and moldings of the pre-facelift models. Mitsubishi will have to replace the panels so they could start building the new Mirage. The Japanese carmaker also has to re-tool their plants and train their personnel with the new specifications before they can resume production.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) has not announced an estimated date of launch for the redesigned models. Their arrival in local dealerships will depend on these production factors. As for the next generation Mitsubishi Mirage and Mirage G4, we might not see them until three years after their facelifts are released.

Trevor Mann, former Chief Operating Officer of Mitsubishi Motors, previously confirmed that the next Mirage will be based on the Renault-Nissan Common Module Family Platform. More specifically, it will adopt the CMF-B platform similar to the ones used on Renault Clio and the 2020 Nissan Almera.

Given its new platform, we can surmise that the next Mirage Hatchback and Mirage G4 Sedan will be larger than their immediate predecessors.

Also read: 2020 Mitsubishi Triton Athlete unveiled in Thailand