Styling
The new ASX looks miles better than the understated, previous-generation model. The old ASX never turned heads — it was a bit like that wallflower at the school dance — not noticeable, but once you get to know her, you realize she's a girl with plenty of admirable qualities.
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With the new ASX, this whole nondescript vibe has vanished. Featuring Mitsubishi's latest chrome-heavy, aggressive front-end design, the ASX will blend into oblivion no more. Even the side profile and rear-end look fashion forward and adventurous in spirit. After all, the ASX is supposed to combine the best of both worlds and is meant to satisfy the trendy city-dwelling family who may become intrepid off-road travellers on weekends.
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Interior
Thanks to the ASX key's proximity sensor, you just press the little black button next to the door handle to unlock the doors while the key is in your pocket or handbag (or at least within 7 cm of the door). It sure beats digging in your bag when you have arms full of shopping. The ASX also has a start button.
The sophisticated black leather interior, a standard feature, is dominated by the large central touchscreen which is placed in such a way that it's easily visible to the driver as well as the rear passengers. Directly below it are two USB ports, and the system has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, which means you probably won't make use of the ASX's standard voice control system and use Siri or Alexa instead. Another 12V power socket can be found inside the deep central armrest cubby.
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My daughter connected my phone to Spotify the moment I started the engine, and we worked our way through several playlists while driving through the Overberg. We both thought the system's sound quality was rather good.
Front seats have seat-heaters for a nice warm booty when those Highveld cold fronts work their magic. The cockpit area of the cabin has a total of four cupholders. Steering wheel-mounted controls help keep the driver's eyes on the road ahead, and activating cruise control is quick and easy.
Space and comfort
The cabin is roomy, and allows sufficient elbowroom even for three fully-grown adults seated side-by-side on the back seat. There's not as much legroom for the adult in the middle as the persons seated next to the windows, but a child will be content in the middle on longer journeys.
The front seat backs have shallow pockets for smaller items but taller item such as magazines and colouring books won't fit. There are no door cards in the rear doors either, but the middle seat has a foldable armrest with two cupholders. A standard, full-length panoramic sunroof lets some light into the cabin and is also convenient when watching raindrops and mountaintops.
The boot is a practical 406 litres which is above average for the segment and offers more room than the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Creta and Suzuki Vitara. On either side of the boot are practical recesses for storing smaller items. A full-size spare wheel resides below the boot floor.
Safety
Mitsubishi included a vast array of safety features in the new ASX, including seven airbags, traction control, hill-start assist, a collapsible steering column, brake pedal recession protection, anti-whiplash seats, a rear-view camera, parking sensors in the rear, and side-impact protection beams. The ASX's body construction is known by the name of RISE, an acronym for Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution, which safely cocoons all occupants in case of an accident. Isofix child seat anchorage points are fitted to the outer rear seats.
Power and performance
As before, a 2.0-litre engine without turbocharging does duty in the ASX. It has been upgraded to be more refined, and uses a lightweight aluminium block and MIVEC technology (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve Timing Electronic Control System) for more responsive driving in both higher and low rev ranges.
The smooth and quiet petrol-engine's 110kW and 197kW is sufficient and offers more power than most of its competitors, but the CVT "gearbox" drone is quite noisy if you're not used to it. And it's only when you decide to "give it horns" that you're conscious of it. If that's an issue, opt for the manual model which costs R20k less.
Fuel consumption
For a two-litre engine, the ASX consumes what you would expect in real-world driving conditions, which is in the region of 9-11 litres per 100 km. The ASX has a larger-than-average fuel tank of 63 litres vs. the Honda HRV's 40-litre tank and the 47-litre unit in the Suzuki Vitara. One full tank should last for around 630 kilometres if you use 10 litres per 100 km as your average.
The drive
The soft suspension enhances comfort for everyone inside the cabin, and potholes and speed bumps are hardly an issue. The ASX is front-wheel driven, so don't venture too far off the beaten track, but I reckon you can go far enough, further than, say, a Honda HR-V or VW T-Cross. The ASX also has higher ground clearance (195mm) and bundu-friendly high-profile rubber while many of its competitors have more fashionable low-profile tyres. Just bear in mind there won't be any diff-locks to save you in case you get stuck.
Price
The automatic ASX is priced at R399 995 and offers a very generous amount of standard convenience features, plus it has better off-road credentials than most of its rivals. Its closest match is probably the Suzuki Vitara 1.4T GLX auto, which will set you back R405 900.
Verdict
I am very impressed with the ASX, especially now since it's more geared towards outdoor lovers, and thanks to its high ground clearance, even the grandparents will be comfortable getting in and out. It's the ideal car for the two-kid family, or anyone looking to own a car that is able to take you places. The ASX also has a five-year/90 000 km service plan and 3-year / 100 000 km warranty which beats those of the HR-V, Vitara, and T-Cross / Tiguan.
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