Bay Harbour: January 08, 2020

PAGE 14 BAY HARBOUR
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Wednesday January 8 2020
High comfort levels in Mitsubishi ASX
Motoring
Ross Kiddie
YOU SURE know you’re hurting
when you’ve got a painful back.
Mine has been bugging me
for a few weeks now, and it’s
brought to my attention how
difficult it is getting in and out
of some cars, yet highlights how
easy it is to do the same in a sport
utility vehicle.
I’ve just driven two Mitsubishi
SUVs, one after the other,
an Outlander and ASX. I felt
comfortable in both and the seat
height made for easy entry and
egress.
On top of that, the ride the
modern SUV provides doesn’t
tax the body, there is plenty of
suspension movement, and there
is an element of suppleness within
the spring and damper rates that
easily cushions the hits from road
ripples, bumps and ruts.
This evaluation focuses on
the ASX, a Lancer-based midsize
SUV that has been with
Mitsubishi since 2011. Meaning
active smart crossover, the
ASX has undergone a raft of
changes throughout its lifecycle
and I’m pleased to report that
the upgrades and refinements
over the years easily make it a
tempting proposition in today’s
market.
For 2020 the ASX had a fairly
hefty makeover; well, in that
context it has had a strong refresh
up front, the frontal area now
has a bold, edgy design which
sure captures attention, it is a
departure from the soft, curvy
lines of its predecessor.
The test car was painted a nice
new colour – sunshine orange –
which also aroused favourable
comment. The upgrade doesn’t
finish there either, there are
cosmetic changes inside, notably
the inclusion of a larger screen
which makes navigating the
vehicle’s functions just that much
easier.
In terms of mechanical
changes, the ASX has changed
direction slightly. No longer is
there a four-wheel-drive model,
all variants are front-drive only
and all are powered by a petrol
engine – gone is the diesel option.
Mitsubishi also state that for
buyers who want an SUV with
four-wheel-drive, its Eclipse
Cross captures that part of the
market.
The ASX range starts at
$29,990, and ends at $41,090 for
the 2.4-litre VRX as evaluated. It’s
important to note that there are
two entry-level models and both
are 2-litre powered.
However, the 2360cc unit
develops 123kW and 222Nm,
and is paired to a six-step
MITSUBISHI ASX: Facelift for 2020.
continuously variable automatic.
These power and torque outputs
are traditional, they arrive tall
in the rev band at 6000rpm
and 4100rpm respectively;
nevertheless, when you have the
benefit of CVT there is a constant
point of gearing which instantly
meets throttle request.
The ASX feels lively and will
cut out a standstill to 100km/h
time in 9.2sec, it’s also quite smart
on a highway overtake, 5.5sec to
make 120km/h from 80km/h is
about the norm for a vehicle such
as this.
I took the test car inland
following the course of the
Waimakariri River and home
through Darfield and Burnham.
It cruises quietly at highway speed
and affords a smooth ride.
Benefitting from the original
four-wheel-drive chassis
engineering, the ASX is sprung
on a fully independent front
strut/rear multiple link system.
While the rear end doesn’t carry
driveshafts any more, the set-up is
compliant and as I’ve alluded to it
is dampened only moderately so
that the occupants benefit from a
smooth, controlled ride.
I pointed the test car at a
couple of tricky corners along
my test route, it turns nicely and
feeds positive information to the
steering wheel as to how the tyres
react under pressure.
Even without four-wheel-drive
there is still the feel that grip
levels are elevated, while balance
is fully retained. I like the way
the ASX drives, it’s no sports car
but it does have performance and
handling ability which is far in
excess of its purpose.
In terms of fuel use, Mitsubishi
has done well to lean out the
engine. As I remarked previously,
it has been around for some time,
but it is a fuel miser and carries
• Price – Mitsubishi ASX
VRX, $40,090
• Dimensions – Length,
4365mm; width, 1810mm;
height, 1640mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
front-wheeldrive,
2360cc, 123kW,
222Nm, continuously
variable automatic.
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 9.2sec
• Fuel usage – 7.9l/100km
a 7.9-litre per 100km (36mpg)
combined cycle claim.
The fuel usage readout was
constantly listing at around
8.4l/100km (33mpg) during
my time with the test car, and I
can report a 5l/100km (56mpg)
instantaneous figure sitting at a
steady 100km/h. At that speed the
engine is working over at a lazy
1750rpm in the tallest part of the
gearing.
In VRX specification, the
ASX gets a healthy level of
specification including full leather
trim with heated front seats and
keyless entry and ignition. There
are also many additions for safety
and infotainment.
I was a little disappointed
when I took the ASX back,
I’m convinced it helped in the
recovery of my back muscles.
Now it’s back to battling the low
seat position in the Kiddie-family
Toyota, I’m hoping my back will
last out until the scheduled drive
I have in the new year for the
upgraded Outlander Sport.