All-new Mitsubishi ASX is a Renault Captur with a Dynamic Shield
2023 Mitsubishi ASX revealed as a hybrid compact crossover made in Europe
The cat is officially out of the bag. After announcing earlier this year that the next-generation ASX will be based on a Renault, Mitsubishi has taken the covers off the 2023 ASX.
Now serving as Mitsubishi's latest compact crossover, the all-new ASX is essentially a Renault Captur wearing a Dynamic Shield grille and Mitsubishi badges. Even the wheel designs are the same ones you can find on a brand new Captur over in Europe. We're not entirely surprised since the ASX is now manufactured at Renault's Valladolid plant in Spain and will arrive at Mitsubishi showrooms starting in March 2023.
In terms of size, the ASX is 4228mm long, 1797mm wide, and 1573mm tall. When it comes to storing cargo, it gets 332 liters of space with the rear seats up. Fold those down, however, and storage space increases to 401 liters.
A total of four powertrain options are available for the 2023 ASX and all come from Renault. First is a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that makes a humble 91 PS and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Next is the slightly larger 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-four that's available in two states of tune; 140 PS with a 6-speed manual and 158 PS when connected to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Those who prefer a traditional hybrid powertrain can go for the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that's helped along by two electric motors and is paired with a 6-speed multi-mode automatic. It has a total system output of 143 PS.
Last but not least, is the 1.6-liter plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant which is also the most powerful powertrain with 159 PS. Like the regular hybrid, it too comes with a pair of electric motors and a 6-speed multi-mode automatic but it benefits from a 10.5 kWh battery pack. This allows the ASX to travel for 49 km on just pure electric power when fully charged.
Like the exterior, the cabin of the 2023 ASX is similar to the Captur aside from the Mitsubishi badge on the steering wheel. However, it's available with plenty of high-tech features like an optional 10.25-inch digital instrument display and a tablet-inspired 9.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system (the standard is a 7-inch screen). These give the ASX connectivity features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth as standard.
Providing extra peace of mind for the ASX while on the road are intelligent driver aids. It gets adaptive cruise control, high-beam assist, blind-spot assist, active-lane tracing assist with active lane-keeping, and a collision warning system with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
With the all-new Mitsubishi ASX now a European-made vehicle, will it be offered outside The Old Continent? For now, the automaker says the new crossover will be sold in select European markets in March 2023. But given that the ASX is still a relatively popular nameplate in Asia, there could be a chance Mitsubishi brings it to certain Asian countries soon.
