Wow! That pretty much sums up how NZ Company Vehicle feels about the 2020/21 Mitsubishi ASX.
The Mitsubishi ASX models which have gone before already established the small SUV as an immensely popular vehicle, and it’s that which has partially prompted our admiration of the latest incarnation.
See, if a vehicle is good enough to be accurately described as the most popular SUV in its class – which the Mitsubishi ASX is by the way – and the new version is better in just about every respect, what else can we say but “wow!”
What has Mitsubishi done to improve on the vehicle which carries the same stature as the legendary Lancer?
Let’s start with the exterior styling, which is typically a subjective consideration. It is a credit to Mitsubishi that most find the new exteriors very refreshing and dare we say, appealing.
This is after all, the common face of Mitsubishi’s latest models and it’s a face which is strong, distinctive and in the case of both the Triton and the ASX, conceals a significant improvement.
In the case of the Triton, the suspension was the trick. For the ASX, the hidden significant improvement is the inclusion of the tried and true 2.4-litre engine – augmenting the 2-litre engines making up the extensive model range.
There was a price to pay and that was the loss of the diesel engine from the original line-up. It’s a price most will happily pay however, as the diesel was hideously expensive and hard to recoup the investment.
That 2.4 though? Yeah, that’s the genius behind the new generation of ASX.
The power output of 125kW is more than just numbers to bamboozle the buyer. You can feel the difference an extra 400cc makes with this vehicle when it comes to acceleration and easy cruising at open road speeds.
It helps too, that the ASX comes with the racy, paddle-shifting six-speed CVT, though many will find – as we did – that the novelty of manual shifting is not rewarding enough to offset the convenience of letting the ASX do all the work.
Mitsubishi’s CVTs are among the better ones and – in this incarnation of the ASX and the flexibility afforded by the larger engine – prove just how good they are.
As to the rest, the ASX in VRX guise exudes class and sophistication. Supple leather seats, greater cabin space and a subtle but refined interior especially, distract from the ‘functional materials’ of the dashboard, though the large eight-inch touchscreen does a pretty fair job of that too.
The big screen is more user-friendly and its functionality includes support for the advanced Apple CarPlay and Android Apple connectivity.
Of course, a big touchscreen allows for big buttons, which are kind of critical if work has not been done on the suspension.
In this instance, Mitsubishi has done a lot to smooth out the ride, so the larger buttons are more a luxury than a necessity. But that’s not to say a little luxury goes amiss.
It doesn’t hurt that the luxury level is balanced with increased safety equipment which serves as effective driver warning systems rather than intrusive driver ‘saving’ ones. We suspect owners of the new ASX will respect the difference.
Overall, what Mitsubishi has done is to make a huge change in one particular area – the engine – and made subtle and effective changes in most other respects, without compromising on anything.
As to product development, this is well executed in the Mitsubishi ASX and as to the rest – we say again: wow!
Specifications:
BODY TYPE 5 door SUV
DRIVE Front/ 6- speed CVT
ENGINE TYPE DOHC MIVEC petrol
ENGINE CAPACITY 2360cc
MAX POWER 125kW @ 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 228Nm @ 4100rpm
L/100KM (COMBINED) 7.9
CO2 EMISSIONS 183g/km
BOOT CAPACITY 393 – 1143 litres
ANCAP RATING 5 Star
PRICE $41,590
