Mitsubishi ASX: the compact crossover with many names

The Mitsubishi ASX, short for Active Sports Crossover, is a subcompact crossover SUV introduced in 2010. It was positioned below the Outlander and built on the platform shared with the Lancer and Outlander, and it has been sold under several names in different markets.

Mitsubishi ASX at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi ASX.

History of the Mitsubishi ASX

From the Concept-cX

The design was previewed by the Mitsubishi Concept-cX, shown at the 62nd Frankfurt Motor Show in July 2007 and again at the Tokyo Motor Show that September. It marked a return to the idea of a shortened Outlander with five seats instead of seven, sharing components with the larger car, and to smaller and more economical vehicles instead of large truck-based models.

The first-generation ASX went on sale in Japan on 17 February 2010 as the Mitsubishi RVR, a name used only in Japan, South Korea and Canada. Elsewhere it is the ASX, and in the United States, Argentina, Brazil and Indonesia the Outlander Sport. The European version was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010 and the North American one at the New York show the same year. From 2012 to 2015 the Outlander Sport was also built in Mitsubishi’s Illinois plant for North America and some export markets.

Four facelifts

The first facelift appeared in the United States in April 2012 with a reshaped trapezoid grille, a new rear bumper, grey rocker panels and no roof racks. The 2015 model brought LED daytime running lamps, new 17-inch wheels and the return of the roof racks; later in 2015 18-inch wheels became standard with black wheel arch surrounds. The second facelift, shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2015, introduced the Dynamic Shield front design and reached Europe in September 2016. A third facelift before the 2019 Geneva show updated the Dynamic Shield, added 18-inch wheels and an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and added an SP trim in the United States.

Engines and markets

Japanese cars use a 1.8-litre 4B10 engine with a manual gearbox or an INVECS-III CVT. North America, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia take the 2.0-litre 4B11 and, from 2015, the 2.4-litre 4B12, while European ASXs use a 1.6-litre 4A92. In Europe and Australia a 1.8-litre direct-injection turbodiesel was offered, replaced in 2015 by PSA’s DV6C. In the United States the 2.0-litre engine of 148 hp was standard on the ES and SE trims and the 2.4-litre of 166 hp on the SP and GT.

The second-generation ASX for Europe, sold from March 2023, is a rebadged Renault Captur rather than an in-house design. An earlier plan for a successor previewed by the electric eX Concept was never realised.

Design and features

• Shared platform: the GS base of the Lancer and Outlander.
• Many names: ASX, RVR and Outlander Sport for the same car.
• Dynamic Shield: the family front end adopted at the 2015 facelift.
• Wide engine range: 1.6 to 2.4 petrol and a 1.8 turbodiesel.
• Long life: the first generation stayed in production for well over a decade.

Mitsubishi ASX versions

• ASX (2010–): the main European and Asian name.
• RVR: Japanese, South Korean and Canadian name.
• Outlander Sport: name used in the Americas and Indonesia.
• 2.0 and 2.4 petrol: North American and Australian engines from 2015.
• 1.8 turbodiesel: European and Australian option.
• Second generation (2023): rebadged Renault Captur for Europe.

The ASX shares its platform with the Outlander and the Lancer. The larger RVR of the 1990s is a different car, and more models are in the Mitsubishi collection.

Sources

• Mitsubishi ASX, English Wikipedia: history, facelifts, engines, markets