Remember the Mitsubishi ASX? Even though it might now look a little different (thanks to three major facelift exercises), the little Lancer-based crossover is still essentially the same car that was launched all the way back in 2009, and a full-model change is long overdue.
Well, the good news is an all-new Mitsubishi ASX is finally coming soon… but the bad news is that it might not be for us here in Malaysia.
First facelift
Third facelift
Designed for the European market, the next-generation Mitsubishi ASX will be built on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-B platform – the same architecture underpinning the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.
While we won’t know exactly how the car looks like until the launch (aside from the shadowy teaser images here), we do know that it’ll be offered in five different powertrain options, including traditional full hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants.
Kicking things off on the base variant will be a 90 hp 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, which will be paired exclusively to a six-speed manual gearbox – which, perhaps not too surprisingly, is also the same entry point as the Renault Captur in Europe.
The range then moves up to a 1.3-litre direct injection engine, which will be offered in two different states of tune – a 138 hp version that will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission, or a 155 hp variant that will only be available with a seven-speed DCT.
The character lines at the back look nearly identical to that of the all-new Renault Captur
The more interesting ones however are the two electrified options, starting with the HEV with 143 hp, and a PHEV with 158 hp; both electrified powertrains are based on the same 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated four-pot petrol mill that’s also shared with the Renault Captur.
Both models get a pair of electric motors for their non-combustion drive, but the PHEV gets a significantly larger battery at 10.5 kWh (compared to the 1.3 kWh on the HEV) that should offer it a fully-electric range upwards of 60 km, as the Captur does.
The all-new European-market Mitsubishi ASX is set to make its world debut in September this year, with sales scheduled to begin in spring 2023. Would you want to see the Mitsubishi ASX make a return to Malaysia in this form? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and who knows, it might just work – we won’t hold our breath though.
Keyword: There’ll finally be an all-new Mitsubishi ASX, 13 years since first-gen’s debut