Back in 2010, Japanese auto giant Mitsubishi decided to enter the lucrative and well-liked Crossover SUV segment. This was a period when the Subcompact Crossover was still quite new, with barely any competing brands taking part in the fray. However, Mitsubishi had just under a decade ago cancelled the RVR minivan, whose sales was tanking. Since a new minivan was not favorable at the time, the Japanese automaker decided to invest in an all-new design, which would eventually result in the development and launch of the ASX subcompact crossover.
The new Mitsubishi ASX is built on the company’s GS platform, which is also shared with the Lancer and the Eclipse Cross as well. The ASX is now in its ninth year of production and there hasn’t been an all-new generation since the model’s inception. However, over the many years, Mitsubishi has brought along a few facelifts to keep the ASX as competitive as possible. In markets such as the United Arab Emirates, the Mitsubishi ASX goes up against cars such as the Chevrolet Trax, Ford EcoSport, and Nissan Kicks. It’s presently sold in two guises, which includes one two-wheel-drive (2WD) variant and two four-wheel-drive (4WD) or 4x4 variants; though technically, the ASX isn’t a true-blue 4x4 SUVs like the actual one from the stables of Mitsubishi, including the Montero Sport and Pajero.
Dimensions wise, the Mitsubishi ASX comes in at 4.355 meters in length, 1.810 meters in width and 1.625 meters in overall height. The five-seater ASX has a wheelbase measuring 2.670 meters, while its minimum boot space is an average 358 liters. In the UAE, all variants of the Mitsubishi ASX comes powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that’s good for 150hp at 6,000 rpm and 197Nm of twisting force at 4,200 rpm. This naturally-aspirated motor (dubbed “4B11”) features multi-point fuel injection and dual overhead camshafts, and sends its might to the front wheels in the 2WD version and to all four corners in the 4x4 variant. Regardless of the drive configuration, the ASX that’s sold in the region comes equipped with the brand’s INVECS CVT gearbox with 6-step sports mode and paddle shifters.
The Mitsubishi ASX’s powertrain is punchy enough to propel this 1.4-ton crossover to a top speed of 193 km/h, which is quite impressive. However, the ASX isn’t exactly too spirited when it comes to accelerating from naught to 100 km/h, taking between 11.3 and 11.7 (2WD and 4WD variants, respectively) seconds to do so. As for its fuel consumption, the Mitsubishi ASX is rated at between 8.0 to 8.2 L/100 km during a combined cycle. The Mitsubishi ASX’s standard safety kit includes the likes of dual front airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA), Active Stability Control (ASC), Hill Start Assist system (HSA), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and rear seat ISOFIX anchor points to name the most major ones.
In the fully-loaded GLX trim of the Mitsubishi ASX (with 4WD), the equipment list encompasses parking sensors with a rearview camera, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic halogen projector headlights with auto-levelling and washers, front & rear fog lamps, automatic windshield wipers, keyless entry with push-button start, split-folding rear seats, leather seat upholstery with 4-way power adjustment for the driver, tilt & telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, power-operated & folding door mirrors, panoramic glass roof and LED interior lighting. There’s also automatic climate control, drive mode selector, cruise control, leather-wrapped multifunction wheel & gear selector, 9-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system, and a touchscreen infotainment head unit with voice recognition, Bluetooth telephony, CD playback and USB connectivity.
