Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi doesn't come too often in the spotlights, but when it does, it makes people ask themselves why on Earth would anybody stay so reticent in such a crowded market when the cars it builds are so impressive. The Japanese carmaker has never called itself a leader of the automotive industry, although some of the products in its lineup pretty well managed to surprise, in a positive way, drivers from all around the world. The Lancer Evolution is the main model that pops into one's mind when talking about Mitsubishi and the company indeed relies on the Lancer series more than on any other vehicle. But the world is changing, the economic downturn made people drop their SUVs in favor of smaller or mini cars specifically designed to achieve greater efficiency figures and thus help owners save some money usually spent on fuel. Crossovers and SUVs were undoubtedly popular, but with gas prices skyrocketing and cities becoming more crowded than ever, choosing a smaller ride was the only natural way to go into the automotive industry. But Mitsubishi tried to innovate a little bit and launched a crossover that's able to achieve the same efficiency ratings as a compact car while maintaining the base attributes of an SUV. It is called the ASX, a model that came to be in February 2010 in Japan. It used a different name however, as Mitsubishi said from the beginning that the new crossover is specifically developed to be marketed worldwide, obviously under different names. Regardless if it was called RVR in Japan and Canada, Outlander Sport in the United States or ASX in Europe, Mitsubishi's new model is in essence the same model all around the world, with slight modifications implemented to comply with each respective country regulations. The car is based on the cX concept presented by the Japanese brand at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show but also at the Tokyo Motor Show during the same year. The ASX thus went on sale in 2010 to compete against the likes of Volkswagen Tiguan, Dacia Duster, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage and many others. Priced in between EUR 20,000 – 30,000, the new ASX promises to be much better than its competition, not only thanks to its features, but also because it's more affordable, offering one of the best price/value ratios in the class. We wanted to see on our own if Mitsubishi's compact crossover is as powerful as its parent carmaker says it is, so we took one for a ride. Continue reading to find out our opinions on the model.