Review: Mitsubishi ASX 1.8 Diesel 4WD 3

[Auto News]

Styling and quality updates consolidate ASXs place among the better alternative crossovers. The 2012 Mitsubishi ASX: a car that deserves a bigger following than UK customers have given it over the past two years. Frugal, comfortable, practical and well-priced, this real-world crossovers most critical shortcoming seems to be that its not a Nissan Qashqai. If anything, you could say that a slightly drab cabin lets the Mitsubishis down. But in acknowledgement, Mitsubishi has updated the interior as part of a 2012 facelift. Theres a new steering wheel design, new seat fabrics and a new-look stereo system to admire now. Well, perhaps not admire. If you didnt know theyd been changed, you probably wouldnt think they looked new. But you wouldnt think they looked old, either. The ASXs cabin has a typically Japanese, functional, unembellished appearance. Plastics are still hard and shiny in places, but theyre far from offensive. A Qashqai is a slightly more pleasant, stylish, premium environment in which to travel, sure. Sos a Kia Sportage or a Peugeot 3008. But theres little wrong with the way the Mitsubishis cabin works, and fit and finish levels are decent enough. On the outside, in a similar bid to make the ASX more of an urban sophisticate, there are new body-coloured bumpers front and rear, and a slightly different grille design. Its a subtle tweak, and tough to appreciate in pictures of our black test car, but it does make the ASX look less like a niche SUV and more like something from the mainstream, which is a sensible move. Prices survive the update unchanged, as does the ASXs engine range, which consists of a 115bhp 1. 6-litre petrol and Mitsubishis own 1. 8-litre 114bhp turbodiesel, on offer with or without four-wheel drive. Our test car was the all-paw diesel, yours for less than 23k at list price. And for those who do want a four-wheel-drive diesel, that price puts it in quite a strong position in the segment.