car tests

Review – Mitsubishi ASX (2023) – A clever sop?

January 27, 2023

The high-ups at Mitsubishi in Japan thought it was enough with Europe and the Netherlands in 2019. The brand announced its departure from the continent after several very successful years with the Outlander PHEV. Apparently people got cold feet after all, because Mitsubishi is still around and is even coming out with entirely new models for the European market!

Renault to the rescue

It probably won’t have escaped your readers: the ASX is really just a Renault Captur. At Mitsubishi, they still try pretty hard to talk around it, but that’s a pretty impossible task when you look at the car. The grille is the ASX’s most distinctive element. In it, Mitsubishi incorporated the “Dynamic Shield,” but in such a way that no major modifications had to be made to the sheet metal. At the rear, the rectangular rearview camera in particular stands out. In the Captur, it is incorporated into the Renault logo. Mitsubishi chose to write out the entire brand name on the back of the ASX, even the logos are made in Mitsubishi’s corporate style. That, unfortunately, is where the originality ends.

Find the differences

Do you remember the game “find the differences”? On the outside, the ASX still has some distinguishing features compared to the Captur, but in the interior you can tell you are in a Mitsubishi only by the logo on the steering wheel. Even the font and layout of the infotainment is all still recognizably Renault. Fortunately, the R-Link system, renamed “SDA” by Mitsubishi, works quite well. Our test car had the large upright 9.3-inch touchscreen, standard screen size is 7-inches. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are always present in the ASX.

Drive lines and driving characteristics Mitsubishi ASX 2023

The ASX’s lineup consists of a total of four powertrains. We’ll go over them in a nutshell. The entry-level, the 1.0 MPI Turbo has a 1.0 three-cylinder with 91 hp and a six-speed manual transmission. One step above that is the 1.3 DI-T Mild Hybrid. This power source comes in two versions: with six-speed manual transmission – then you get 140 hp – and with seven-speed automatic. In the latter case, you have 160 hp. In addition to those two powertrains, Mitsubishi offers the ASX as a hybrid, the 1.6 MPI HEV with 140 hp, and as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The latter has 160 horsepower and can travel up to 40 kilometers (40 miles) fully electric.

We drove through the hills around Malaga with the ASX PHEV. In terms of power, even on twisty and hilly roads, you never feel like you’re coming up short. The interplay between the electric motor and gasoline engine is also pleasant, though of course that is all thanks to Renault’s E-Tech powertrain. So far, no real surprises. Mitsubishi also left the suspension and steering untouched, resulting in a comfortable tune. On short bumps, though, the ASX can seem a bit stuttery, and the steering does not really excel in communicativeness. Not that the target market for this type of car would be alarmed by that.

No price spacker

By now you must be wondering: how much does such an ASX now cost compared to the Renault Captur? What is the possible added value of the ASX over its French counterpart? Let’s get right to the point: at first glance, the ASX is not immediately a prize catcher. Getting into the ASX, the 1.0 Intense, can start from 29,290 euros, making it 965 euros more expensive than the base version of the Renault Captur.

Huh, the ASX is more expensive than the car it is based on? That deserves some explanation. In fact, Mitsubishi does put some things in return for that extra price. For example, the ASX has standard parking sensors all around as well as a rearview camera – an option you have to pay extra for on the Captur. Additionally – and perhaps most interestingly – Mitsubishi offers a 5-year and up to 100,000 km warranty on the ASX, where Renault offers a standard 2-year warranty with no mileage limit. That extra warranty could possibly begin to persuade potential customers to check out Mitsubishi after all.

Prices Mitsubishi ASX 2023

In addition to powertrains, Mitsubishi also offers quite a bit of choice when it comes to trims. There are five in all: the Pure, Intense, Intense+, First Edition and Instyle. Available only with the base engine, the Pure comes standard with several safety systems, 17-inch steel wheels, LED headlights, all-round parking sensors, a rearview camera and the 7-inch SDA Touchscreen.

In the other four versions, these are the main extras:

Motorization Model Price
1.0 MPI Turbo Pure 29.290
1.0 MPI Turbo Intense 30.290
1.3 DI-T (MHEV) Intense 32.590
1.3 DI-T (MHEV) Intense+ 33.990
1.3 DI-T (MHEV) First Edition 35.990
1.3 DI-T (MHEV) 7DCT First Edition 38.990
1.3 DI-T (MHEV) 7DCT Instyle 41.490
1.6 HEV Intense 33.490
1.6 HEV Intense+ 35.490
1.6 HEV First Edition 37.490
1.6 HEV Instyle 39.990
1.6 PHEV Intense+ 38.990
1.6 PHEV First Edition 41.490
1.6 PHEV Instyle 43.990

How to move forward?

The key question then becomes: will the ASX give Mitsubishi permanent residence in Europe? We don’t have a crystal ball, but we asked Mitsubishi what exactly the medium-term idea is. In any case, the Colt will first hit the market later this year. In doing so, Mitsubishi is taking the same approach as with the ASX, but using the Clio as a starting point. Then Mitsubishi says it has covered the major European segments.

How things proceed after that is not entirely clear at this point. In 2024, the brand will present a long-term vision that will also describe what Mitsubishi’s role in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance will be. In any case, the brand emphatically presents the ASX and the Colt as “intermediate solutions,” so it seems we can expect to see Mitsubishi cars with their own looks again in the future. There is conspicuously no mention of all-electric models yet.

A bright idea?

With the new ASX, on the one hand, it is a shame that it is not a “real” Mitsubishi, but on the other hand, the ASX does make it possible for Mitsubishi to stay in Europe and for people driving the current ASX to upgrade to a new model soon. What makes the ASX extra interesting is its 5-year warranty, something Renault does not offer on the Captur. As a sop, the ASX is certainly not very wrong, but we do hope that Mitsubishi can start restoring its own identity a bit in the future.