Mitsubishi ASX: The cat’s out of the bag

What is it?

Mitsubishi ASX is the smallest vehicle in the company’s four-model SUV range beneath the Eclipse Cross, Outlander and Pajero Sport.

ASX (the acronym stands for Active Sports Crossover, not Australian Stock Exchange) has been around since 2010 and for much of this period it has been a consistently strong performer for Mitsubishi thanks to a combination of sensible design, functionality and sharp pricing.  

By the time the all‑new second‑generation ASX, that we’re testing here, arrived in late 2025 the scene had changed significantly and it now competes against a host of rivals in the small SUV category.

These include well‑established vehicles like Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX‑30, Kia Seltos and Toyota Corolla Cross.  

But the biggest challenge now comes from China where the Chery Tiggo 4, GWM Jolion and MG ZS are in the top five sellers.

Mitsubishi is part of an alliance with Renault and Nissan and the all‑new ASX, which is effectively a rebadged version of the Renault Captur, is manufactured at the French company’s Valladolid plant in northern Spain.  

The all‑new 2025 ASX reduced the model range from six to three, gave it a new engine, major tech upgrade and improved safety equipment.

It also brought hefty price rises.  

What’s it cost?

Prices start at $37,740 for the LS, the mid‑spec Aspire sells for $42,690 and the flagship Exceed for $46,490 — before on-road costs.

There are five standard colours, all metallic: Crystal White, Steel Grey, Sunrise Red, Royal Blue and Onyx Black.

Depending on the variant the first four are available with a two‑tone Onyx Black roof. 

Equipment in the entry‑level LS includes 17‑inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, proximity keyless entry, cloth seats, manual seat adjustment, 10.4‑inch infotainment touchscreen, 7.0‑inch instrument cluster, rear view camera, rain‑sensing wipers, dusk‑sensing headlamps and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.  

Mid‑spec Aspire adds 18‑inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, powered front seat adjustment and side mirrors, embedded satellite navigation, Google tech, 10‑inch digital instrument cluster, heated steering wheel and interior ambient lighting.

Flagship Exceed also gets a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery with heated front seats and optional two‑tone exterior paint.

All ASX variants have a 10.4‑inch portrait‑style touchscreen in the top centre of the dashboard.

It’s clear and easy to read with only minimal distraction needed to operate. There’s also voice activation.  

Bluetooth pairing is fast and intuitive and there’s smartphone mirroring through wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto along with DAB digital radio where available.

Really annoying are the locations of the audio controls which sit on a steering‑wheel stalk and effectively can only be adjusted by feel.  

Google tech in the higher‑spec variants provides access to a variety of Google resources including Google Maps and Google Assistant.

Despite a long list of new safety features, the MY25 ASX only received a four‑star rating from ANCAP when it was tested in October 2025.

This was due primarily to the fact it doesn’t come with a front‑centre airbag.

Standard safety features across the range include front, side and curtain airbags, forward collision mitigation and autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and prevention, emergency lane assist, safe distance warning, driver attention alert, traffic‑sign recognition, three ISOFix anchor points, rear parking sensors and tyre‑pressure monitoring.  

Aspire and Exceed add adaptive cruise control, safe exit assist, traffic jam assist, blind‑spot monitoring, rear cross‑traffic alert and Mi‑Pilot for semi‑autonomous driving.

As is the current trend, many of the vehicle’s safety features are built into the touchscreen although the climate‑control settings are located in a series of physical buttons below the screen.  

Rightly or wrongly, many drivers get frustrated by features such as lane correction, driver‑attention warnings and speed‑limit alerts.

As is the case in most vehicles these can be turned off but default back on when the car stops.

In the case of the ASX there is a button called Persona which allows these features to be grouped together and turned on or off with a single touch.

What’s it go like?

The front of the new ASX does carry over some of the features of the previous model, including the traditional three‑diamond badge in the centre of the six‑bar chrome grille with a black background.

The grille is flanked by wraparound LED headlights above vertical LED daytime running lights.  

The profile is sleeker than its boxier predecessor with a prominent crease rising from the front to the rear wheel arches above some small bits of lower cladding to indicate that it’s an SUV.

Like the front, the LED tail lights wrap around the tailgate edges with the large Mitsubishi name spread across it. 

The biggest change in the MY25 ASX is on the inside where it has a more upmarket look that completely transforms the vehicle.

The dashboard features soft‑touch plastic while the doors get attractive cloth inserts below the hard plastic tops.  

We love the portrait style of the central touchscreen.

It’s easy to reach from the driver’s seat and has a high‑resolution display that’s sharp, fast and easy to read.

Rear seat leg and head room is pretty good for all but more than six‑foot passengers who will need the usual compromise with those in front.

Five can be carried but it’s better if the three in the back are kids.  

There are two fast‑charging USB‑C ports at the base of the dashboard with another two, also USB‑C, in the rear.

Rear occupants also get air vents, map pockets and a 12V outlet.

The boot has a two‑level adjustable floor with maximum space of 484 litres with the rear seatbacks in place, expandable to 1596 litres when folded.

There’s no spare wheel, either space saver or full‑size, only the dreaded tyre repair kit.  

The previous 2.0‑litre and 2.4‑litre naturally aspirated petrol engines have now been replaced by a single 1.3‑litre turbocharged four‑cylinder petrol engine.

Outputs are 113kW and 270Nm driving the front wheels through a seven‑speed dual‑clutch transmission.

The previous manual option has gone the same way as just about every other passenger vehicle on the Australian market.  

Based on ADR 81/02 testing the new drivetrain is 16 per cent more fuel‑efficient with 19 per cent less carbon emissions.

Fuel consumption is now 6.4L/100km and carbon emissions at 142 g/km.  

The new Euro‑styled ASX is slightly smaller than its Japanese predecessor which suits the urban environment in which it’s likely to spend most of its time.  

It’s also a very different car to drive.

While it’s easy to drive and, while not sporting, it handles normal day‑to‑day driving competently enough.

Ride comfort is good and the suppression of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) works well.  

The dual‑clutch transmission and turbocharged engine combine to make it a bit sluggish off the mark before the mid‑range torque takes over.

Steering has a pleasant feel and gives the driver good response.

Cornering is simple and the ASX generally follows the chosen line without you having to correct it midway through.  

Road noise is generally well damped, but some stretches of Australia’s notorious coarse‑chip surfaces set up a fair bit of noise in the cabin. 

See also

Test drive

7 min read

Jeep Wrangler: Petrol the thing

What we like?

• Much more upmarket interior presentation

• Strong safety and tech package

• Efficient new turbo engine and dual‑clutch transmission

• Compact size suits urban driving  

What we don’t like?

• Significant price rises over the previous generation

• Only a four‑star ANCAP rating and no front‑centre airbag

• No spare wheel, just a tyre repair kit

• Annoying audio controls buried on a steering‑wheel stalk  

The bottom line?

The previous Mitsubishi ASX was a bit of an enigma because, despite remaining in its first generation between 2010 and 2025, albeit with regular styling, technology and safety updates, it was consistently one of the best‑selling vehicles in the compact SUV segment.

The biggest hurdle facing the all‑new ASX is likely to be the significant price increase, upwards of 25 per cent.  

While most buyers will appreciate that European vehicles will be more expensive than those from Asia, many will assume that the Mitsubishi badge indicates its source.

When viewed as what is effectively a totally different car, the significant improvements over the first‑generation ASX mean the case for the price increases can be justified.  

The second factor is the level of competition in the small SUV market segment, especially cheaper models coming from China.

Note that Mitsubishi is advertising an industry‑leading 10‑year warranty.

It certainly sounds attractive on the surface, but less so when you drill down because not only is the 10‑year deal dependent upon having all servicing done exclusively at Mitsubishi dealerships — but also distance is limited to 200,000km.  

If you choose to have your servicing done elsewhere then the coverage drops to five years and 100,000km.

No doubt that will suit some buyers but deter others. Do your own sums.

CHECKOUT: Mitsubishi Outlander: Competition the thing

CHECKOUT: Mitsubishi Triton: Doing it tough