The rally covered a total distance of 2,145.19 kilometers, including 921.80 kilometers of Special Stages (SS)2, with Katsuhiko Taguchi taking overall victory in a total time of 12 hours 58 minutes 20 seconds. Kazuto Koide finished 27th, while Chayapon Yotha completed the rally in 36th place overall.

Now in its 31st edition, the AXCR is a historic cross-country rally that traverses Southeast Asia, with Thailand serving as its primary stage. In recent years, the event has been held exclusively in Thailand, where dense jungles, plantations with repetitive scenery that can easily lead competitors off course, sections strewn with large rocks, river crossings where the driving line is difficult to judge, and deep, slippery mud ruts, combined with hot and humid conditions, place enormous demands on drivers, team members and their vehicles. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart secured a hard-fought overall victory against strong rivals in a rally where success demands driving skill, navigational expertise and strong teamwork, yet luck can still influence the competition.

The 2026 AXCR began with a ceremonial start on Walking Street in Pattaya, the beach resort city on Thailand’s eastern coast, before the first SS began on August 10. Leg 1 headed north from Pattaya to Prachin Buri through eucalyptus and rubber plantations, where heavy rain left water-filled sections that resembled rivers, posing one of the many challenges of the AXCR.

Leg 2 moved west from Prachin Buri to Nakhon Sawan. The SS distance was significantly shortened from 145.67 kilometers to 67.32 kilometers after military exercises were scheduled at a training ground on the route. Even so, the stage remained challenging, featuring difficult uphill rocky sections. Leg 3 featured a loop route from Nakhon Sawan through plantation areas in northern Thailand before returning to the city. Rice fields and irrigation canals dominated the landscape, while numerous similar-looking farm roads and waterways tested competitors’ navigational skills.

Leg 4 continued north from Nakhon Sawan to Kamphaeng Phet. The route passed through forests and rural communities before entering farm roads that wound through cassava and sugarcane fields, including several high-speed sections. Leg 5 then took competitors to Phitsanulok in northern Thailand, an area known for its expansive natural scenery. The first half of the stage consisted of narrow and twisting forest roads around a reservoir, while the latter half featured long stretches of flat dirt roads running alongside waterways.

With only 58.62 kilometers of SS scheduled for Leg 6, the rally’s final day, Leg 5 effectively became the last major test in the fight for overall victory. The final stage was based in Phitsanulok and traversed mountainous terrain before returning to the city for the finish. Held at a higher elevation than the other stages, the route featured numerous holes and ruts that could cause a rollover even over a short distance, making it a stage where drivers could not afford to let their guard down until the very end.

Taguchi made a strong start in Leg 1, minimizing time losses on a day when many of the early-starting competitors went off course. Making full use of the Triton’s outstanding cross-country performance through rivers and large pools of water left by heavy rain, he finished the opening leg in third place overall. He then set the fastest SS time in Leg 3 to move into the overall lead. Although his advantage over second place stood at just eight seconds, Taguchi and Yasui steadily extended their lead with a disciplined approach in conditions where a single mistake could have resulted in a significant loss of position.

By the end of Leg 5, the longest stage of the rally, the pair had built a lead of more than five minutes. On the final day, they adopted a measured approach, avoiding unnecessary risks and safely reaching the finish. Carefully managing the gap to their rivals, the pair claimed their first AXCR overall victory by 2 minutes 25 seconds and sealed a second consecutive AXCR title for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart.

Mitsubishi Motors employee driver Kazuto Koide, competing in his third AXCR, got off to a difficult start when he became stuck in a roadside ditch during Leg 1, resulting in a timeout penalty. He recovered strongly over the remaining stages, supporting both Taguchi and Yotha while steadily improving his pace. Koide recorded the eighth-fastest stage time in SS5 and completed all special stages to finish 27th overall.

Defending champion Chayapon Yotha suffered a puncture in the rock section of Leg 2, losing valuable time while changing a tire. Determined to recover, he climbed back to sixth overall in Leg 3, but another setback followed in the latter half of Leg 4 when he struck the right rear of the car and was forced to make a second tire change. Engine trouble then developed in the first half of Leg 5. Despite these difficulties and the penalties incurred, Yotha reached the finish and was classified 36th overall.

“I am extremely proud that a Japanese driver and co-driver pair has won this rally for the first time in the event’s history. As a fellow Japanese, I could not be prouder of this achievement. This year’s rally was a closely fought battle from the very beginning, and it was impossible to predict who would come out on top. I believe this victory was achieved because every member of the team fully committed to teamwork. Mitsubishi Motors has long used the experience gained in motorsports under extreme conditions to support the development of production vehicles. The benefits go beyond driving performance and contribute to the confidence and safety that characterize Mitsubishi Motors vehicles. The same applies to the development of our engineers, whose experiences in this environment will undoubtedly contribute to their everyday work. I’d like to thank everyone for supporting us,” said Hiroshi Masuoka, Team Director.