Mitsubishi ASX First Drive

Launching a new vehicle at a racetrack is a tricky proposition. Sure, the assembled writers are delighted at the chance to test drive away from the drudgery of everyday traffic. But the track also highlights a car’s shortcomings, amplifying the littlest niggle while one wrings the car out. So it takes some cojones to bring out one’s baby in such an environment—in this case, Clark Speedway.

Mitsubishi is certainly not short of confidence when it comes to its new baby, the ASX crossover. “Baby” is the appropriate word here, as the ASX is essentially a 9/10 scale Outlander. The new car slots into the lineup as the entry level crossover/SUV. ASX shares the Outlander’s stance, styling, interior bits—indeed, its very platform. Only it’s been shrink-rayed to reduce weight, volume, and thankfully, price.

The ASX is sure to turn heads when it starts showing up on village streets in a couple of weeks. Up front is the angry countenance first seen on the Outlander and used to such great effect on the Evo X and its lesser Lancer brethren. The beady eyes flanking a gaping trapezoidal grille lend the ASX some swagger, as do the deep character lines that sweep up on the ASX’s sides. The rear looks markedly truncated, the car terminating so soon behind the rear doors.

Inside, the Lancer/Outlander theme continues, which is again not a bad thing. It’s minimalist, it’s serious and it’s all black, with slivers of metal trim. The gauges too are a no-nonsense, deeply-binnacled pair of tachometer and speedometer. Fuel, temperature and trip computer are displayed on a multi-colored screen between the main gauges. With the tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, it was easy to find a comfortable driving position. Seats are mounted with a high hip point; adjustment is limited to reach and seatback rake. The door panels and dashboard are mostly hard plastics. With the touchscreen AVT system mounted in the center dash, switchgear looks very sparse. There are only three knobs on the dashboard, for the climate control.

Twist the key and the 2.0-liter inline-4 engine whirrs to life and settles into a silent idle. The 4B11 aluminum-block engine is shared with the Lancer but loses 5ps for an even 150ps rating. Torque is 197Nm. There are two transmissions available, a five-speed manual and a CVT. If five gears on a manual sounds a little retro these days, it should be perfectly adequate on Philippine roads. Budget allowing, we would go for the CVT, its shock-free ease of operation pairing perfectly with the engine.

Revved hard, the dohc engine doesn’t run out of breath, thanks to the MIVEC variable valve timing system. As it spins towards 6000 rpm, its voice goes all Louis Armstrong—a strong suggestion to shift up. The CVT has a “six-speed” mode activated by a gate on the gearlever or via shift paddles. Fuel mileage on our limited time on the track ranged from a low of 6.5 to a high of 8 km/liter.

There are three variants of ASX: GLX manual (P1,145,000), GLS CVT (P1,255,000) and GLS SE CVT (P1,498,000). Only the top-line GLS SE gets a four-wheel drive system. The system is controlled via a center console knob with three modes: 2WD, 4WD auto and 4WD lock. In 4WD auto, the computer determines when to feed power to the rear wheels, while the lock mode engages all four wheels for low-traction situations. With the modest 195mm ground clearance, the ASX is suitable for at worst, light gravel or mud driveways.

The chassis sounds promising, with disc brakes and independent suspension on all four corners. Mitsubishi set up an autocross / slalom course at the speedway’s drag strip. The ASX gamely dove through the cones, but the slow steering hampered quick transitions. Its compact dimensions and good visibility allowed for easy slotting into tight spaces. Then we were let loose on flat-out laps of the circuit. We thought that retaining all of the Outlander’s wheelbase while trimming down weight and slicing off the rear overhang would translate to much sharper handling. For some reason—perhaps the tires, but probably because we only drove the Outlander on public roads, the ASX didn’t seem as enjoyable in fast corners. On flat-out laps of the speedway, the overall balance is heavy understeer. The “embossed fabric” of the seats, particularly the rear, are quite slippery.

Interesting features abound for the top-line GLS SE. These include stability control, hill start assist, HID headlamps, steering-wheel audio controls, and seven airbags. An AVT audio-video unit with 16-cm LCD screen slots into the dashboard. The unit can connect to an iPod and comes with navigation. There’s some lag in the touchscreen response but otherwise it’s a versatile system. One cool feature that makes its way to this class is a keyless go system, logically pairing with the Engine Start/Stop button—no key insertion needed. (Take note, BMW and Mini.) The lower-end variant has the same AV head unit sans navigation, which becomes optional. ABS is standard across the range, and the lower variants have dual airbags.

Strangely for an SUV, space—whether for passengers or cargo—is not really the ASX’s strong suit. The rear bench has barely enough kneeroom and is quite short, too. There is actually more kneeroom in compact sedans like the Lancer and Civic. The tall and shallow space may have been able to swallow eight medium sized cartons with ease, but the 384 liters of space is still quite limited. The rear seat split-folds 60/40 and the rear armrest allows for a trunk pass-through.

The ASX is the spiritual successor to the first-generation RAV4 and CR-V. Those were compact crossovers that traded more on style than utility, and their pricing was not outrageously expensive. Since then those cars have become larger, heavier, and more expensive, leaving an opening for Mitsubishi’s new car.

So who exactly is this car for? Singles, couples, empty nesters, those looking for a stylish second car—the ASX would be a great choice. The midrange GLS looks like good value, and even the top GLS SE tempts with its boatload of standard equipment. With the Outlander covering the large five-seater market and the Montero Sport seven-seater flying out of showrooms, launching the ASX—racetrack or not—at this point in time is an astute move.