[Review] 2016 Mitsubishi ASX
We test drove the 2016 Mitsubishi ASX for two weeks and I can say that it has one of the best light and adaptive steering in the compact SUV market. It’s great to drive, easy to park (has a large turning radius), has enough boot space for storage, and sits averagely high on the road making seeing over the top of most cars a breeze.
A few years ago when the ASX first came out, there was quite a debate on why the diesel-powered engine was manual only. It turned out that lots of people in the market for a Crossover vehicle wanted the simplicity of driving an automatic-transmission vehicle, hence the 2010 ASX didn’t sell that well. Fast forward to 2016 and you have 2WD petrol models, and 4WD diesel models all in automatic transmission (a CVT gearbox with Sports mode).
The 2.0L petrol engine and 2.2L turbocharged diesel engine both output 112kW of power in the ASX, the main differences between the two engines being torque and fuel consumption. Despite both engines providing 112kW of power, the diesel engine variant has a theoretical fuel consumption of 6.0L/100KM whereas the petrol engine variant has a theoretical fuel consumption of 7.4L/100KM. A mere 1.4L/100KM more. The diesel also has a significantly higher torque of 366Nm, compared to just 200Nm on the petrol variant.
We had the Mitsubishi ASX 4WD Diesel XLS model, which is a different trim setting (lower) than the VRX which has additional features in the vehicle. These include automatic headlamps, automatic rain-sensing wipers, a panoramic sunroof, heated leather seats, push start-stop button and keyless entry with lock/unlock function on the door. Our XLS model only had cloth seats, but what I like about cloth seats is that when you get in the car on a cold winter’s morning, your legs will be thanking you for the non-cold-touch that leather seats provide.
For the price bracket range of between $35,000 to $45,000, it won’t have any of the smarter tech features such as blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control etc. and that’s to be expected. It’s still good value for the amount of ‘car’ you get, not forgetting to mention the On Demand 4WD that can be activated or deactivated at the push of a button on those models!
Moving on to the 6″ touchscreen display, the ASX has a very basic and simple operating system embedded in the car. The options are pretty much summed up for you in the above picture, with Bluetooth audio also being added in. I can’t say the speakers were any good though. The 4-speaker system on the XLS model (6 if you have the VRX model) provided pretty rough sound, including muffled sound when the volume was turned up. I use Spotify for my music, so I know I should be getting decent audio quality music on my phone.
An interesting feature I found while researching the Mitsubishi ASX beforehand, is the SmartBrake feature. This feature is there for those ‘just in case’ moments and I definitely did not need to test out this feature now, or anytime soon. If you accidentally hit the accelerator pedal as well as the brake pedal, the car senses this and instead of adding gas it will put full concentration on braking the vehicle. Again, this feature is there for peace of mind, and definitely hope you shouldn’t be needing that!
Overall the Mitsubishi ASX is a very nice car to drive, especially for the price range. If I were to buy this car for my own, I would definitely get the VRX model which gives a fair bit more features than the XLS model. The price range of between $35,000 to $45,000 means it can be a great car for couples or young families to start off with. The reason I say this is that the rear seats are pretty tight as it is a compact SUV. It may be good for those 0-10 year olds, and can be on sold after Mitsubishi’s 10 year/5 year Diamond Advantage Warranty. For couples that like adventures, the 4WD model would suit them great.
For more information on the Mitsubishi ASX, please visit: https://mmnz.co.nz/asx
