New ASX surfaces as rebadged Captur

The current ASX sold by Mitsubishi is 12 years old - longer than average production run - making the crossover quite long in the tooth by modern standards.

In fact, with only a normally aspirated 2.0 litre petrol engine on offer in South Africa, the ASX is in desperate need of a big makeover if Mitsubishi wants to keep up with what other manufacturers are doing in this segment.

A new ASX has now surfaced, soon going on sale in overseas markets, and hopefully in South Africa, too.

But it's not really a pedigree Mitsubishi, and that's rather obvious when looking at the vehicle's styling.

It's actually a rebadged version of the new Renault Captur.

The two brands are part of the RenaultNissan-Mitsubishi alliance, thus the familiar 'hooked' headlights which we first saw on the Renault Megane and new Clio.

The new ASX will be manufactured alongside the Captur at Renault’s Valladolid factory in Spain. and will reach select European markets from March 2023.

It does gain a hint of Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield design concept upfront, complete with a model-specific grille and the familiar three-diamond logo, as well as a black finish for the lower facia.

As for power, predictably the new ASX’s powertrain options in Europe will mirror those of the Captur.

This means it will be available in plug-in hybrid form (comprising a 1.6 litre petrol engine, two electric motors and a 10.5kWh battery); full-hybrid guise (with a 1.6 litre petrol engine, two electric motors and a 1.3kWh battery); and mild-hybrid form (using a turbo-charged 1.3 litre petrol engine, mated with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed double-clutch transmission).

There will also be an entry-level model employing a turbo-charged 1.0 litre petrol engine, driving the front axle through a sixspeed manual gearbox.

Inside, as expected, plenty is shared with the Captur, like the touchscreen system in the centre of the instrument panel.

Mitsubishi South Africa has yet to make an announcement on whether we can can expect the Captur-based ASX on local soil.