DRIVING IMPRESSION
Just like a house that’s had an extension built on, it’s often obvious when an older vehicle gets a facelift. Its new bumpers are sharp and angular, “on trend” as the youngsters say, but the old body panels are stuck with the soft curves of the previous decade. Mitsubishi, however, was able to revamp its ASX without it looking like your neighbour’s illegal bedroom extention.
What’s new?
The ASX’s nose is completely new. The bonnet is angular, the mudguard panel now has a fake air vent, the headlights have been stretched into slits, and the grille is strongly reminiscent of the Mitsubishi Triton and Pajero Sport.
When you look at it from the side, there aren’t many changes. The side mirrors are the same, though the new wheel rims aren’t quite as flamboyant as before.
The upgrade at the back is subtle, and it’s really just the bumper that is noticeably different with more fake vents. There are slight differences to the hatch and the brake lights have been modernised while still maintaining their previous shape.
Inside, the old steering wheel has been retained and the dashboard looks pretty much unchanged. However, the touchscreen is larger (the 7” screen has grown to 8”) with new software, and you might notice a new button and a pair of USB ports.
Engine and transmission
Mitsubishi uses its own 2 ℓ petrol engine (from cast aluminium), the so-called 4B11 MIVAC, which is also used in the Lancer.
Thanks to a 86 mm stroke and 86 mm cylinder bore (engineers call it a square engine), the engine turns smoothly with linear power delivery and a wide torque curve.
These two features are often associated with sedate or even boring engines, but the ASX delivers a pleasant ride in the city, and you will sometimes catch yourself exceeding the speed limit on a highway if you don’t keep an eye on the needle. That’s if the shiftless transmission (CVT) doesn’t drive you insane…
When you put foot, you hear the engine droning louder and louder without shifting gears. It’s unnatural, but Mitsubishi has now added a Ds mode (Drive sport) that allows you to tap the gear lever to the left and change the ‘gears’ manually, even after you’ve stopped. Mitsubishi says it delivers a more pleasing driving experience. But if it’s so gratifying to use your hands, you
may as well consider the five-speed manual transmission for R20 000 less than the automatic model.
On the dirt road
The new ASX is unfortunately not available locally in all-wheel drive – there is simply a sorry gap next to the gear lever where the 4WD dial should have been. Mitsubishi, however, did decide to fit Yokohama Geolander all-season tyres as standard, which somewhat makes up for the missing 4WD dial. These tyres performed well on dirt roads during our test.
Mitsubishi would have been aghast if they knew what roads we tackled with the ASX, but its ground clearance of 195 mm, the Geolander tyres and the strong yet calm engine got us through without incident.
Conclusion
The ASX is a good example of how to renew an ‘old’ ride. We like the overall look, the heated seats, the deep centre bin with its own power point, the full-sized spare wheel, the intuitive touchscreen software and an engine that isn’t a beast by any stretch of the imagination, but nevertheless gets the job done.
The ASX’s Achilles heel is its CVT. We envy people who aren’t bothered by this kind of transmission – and there are many of them – but we prefer a dual-clutch or even an ordinary automatic transmission.