The Mitsubishi ASX has been refreshed, but the changes aren’t too far-reaching.
Still, the pricing is very competitive and there’s a lot to like about this versatile and reliable contender for compact soft roading SUV and Crossover customers. It deserves better than the reception it gets, in the UK at least.
Not a whole lot has changed in the drivetrain department. The rear multi-link suspension has been mildly retuned to offer better ride quality and body control but aside from that, the engines and transmissions have been carried over from the original version. Is that a problem? Not really.
The petrol engine option is a 1.6-litre 115bhp unit with MIVEC variable valve timing technology. It’s offered exclusively with the front-wheel-drive transmission and generates 154Nm of torque at 4,000rpm.
Most opt for the 1.8-litre DiD diesel which packs 114bhp and 300Nm of torque from 3,500rpm. That’s a lot of grunt for a unit of this size and there’s no shortage of technology behind it. The engine is of all-aluminium construction with common-rail injection. It’s a little gruff but undeniably effective. This unit is offered in both front or four wheel-drive guise with a six-speed manual gearbox in place of the petrol’s five-speed item.
The ASX was always a fairly handsome thing with its Mitsubishi Evo-look front end and the styling updates to the latest car preserve that basic feel while sharpening up some of the detailing.
Mitsubishi claims this ASX now gives us a “Solid – Safe – Simple” ‘engineering-driven’ look, but it’s rather lost on me I’m afraid. The rear bumper has been refreshed, but in this instance, the back of the car looks a bit more assertive than before. There’s a chrome accent for the doors which also gives a slightly more upmarket look.
Mitsubishi’s ASX may not have been a big seller in Britain but it’s been hugely popular worldwide.
This latest model gets subtly revised styling, engineering tweaks and interior upholstery changes, but to be frank, it needed more extensive updates than that to make more of an impact on these shores.
For all that, if you get yourself the right deal on this car, it’ll make a really sensible choice if you’re thinking of a soft roading RAV4-style compact SUV or a Qashqai-like Crossover.
Overall of course on a global level, Mitsubishi won’t care even if this car does stay a bit-part player in Britain in its chosen market segment. The ASX does good business for them worldwide and will continue to do so. But it deserves wider recognition here.