ASX faces a tough market

Nearing the end of its current model life, the Mitsubishi ASX Street offers plenty for buyers

A LONG-TIME favourite in the small SUV market, Mitsubishi's ASX is in a holding pattern as dealers look to move stock ahead of an updated model due later this year.

With news of a model change, especially the release of an all-new car to keep up with changes to Australian Design Rules, often making buyers wary of the 'old' car, Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMAL) created a special 'Street' edition based on the ES spec ASX.

The 2-litre injected four cylinder in the ASX is well hidden under plastic engine covers, but it is there, and puts out a reasonable 110kW of power

While the basic car is unchanged, including the 2-litre petrol EFI four cylinder making 110 kW and 197Nm, mated to the company's CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) for a further improvement in fuel economy, 7.6 litres/100 kilometres, down from the manual's 7.7 litres/100 kilometres, Mitsubishi dug into the parts bin to create the new version.

Standard fitment includes a four-speaker stereo, with DAB, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as an 8" (20cm) central screen, single zone climate control airconditioning, cruise control, self-dimming (electrochromatic, if you want to be pedantic) rear view mirror, and power door mirrors, as well as a reverse camera and rear parking sensors, along with a comfortable black fabric interior.

Combining angular looks with a boxy shape, the ASX stands out in the carpark

The ASX body has been around for a while, but still looks good, it carries its age well, essentially a high-riding small hatchback, with the 'family' sloping grille, complete with the 'three diamond' badge, that makes it look a little like the old Outlander.

This is not a bad thing, personally I felt the Outlander was (and still is) a good looking car, and there is enough differentiation so they won't be mistaken for each other, but it gives the ASX a bit of carpark recognition, it doesn't get lost in the crowd.

Although well built, with good paint and small, regular, panel gaps, I felt the ES was a little 'tinny', that is the doors, especially, closed with more of a rattle than was preferable, making it feel a little cheap.

Inside, the ASX Street is well-equipped, the major controls are well placed, and the fabric seats proved to be comfortable on longer drives

Inside, the ASX felt more substantial, ok, there was a little less 'fruit' than we are used to, but in fairness, this is at the lower end of the price spectrum, so you set the bar a little lower.

That said, as well as the previously mentioned items, there is an auto up/down for the driver's window, automatic headlights including high beam, and a comprehensive safety suite, featuring lane departure, forward collision mitigation (the car brakes if it thinks you too close to the car ahead, basically), hill start assist, emergency brake assist, which applies more hydraulic pressure for greater stopping power, in conjunction with the ABS brakes to allow emergency steering.

There are also 'active' stability and traction controls, these override driver inputs to reduce wheelspin and try to avoid loss of control, as well as Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), which spreads the braking effort between individual wheels for maximum braking, while helping keep the car stable.

While I have never used the system in the ASX, this last is proof the car is more talented than the driver, short of having six different brake pedals and octopus-like limbs to operate them, the operating system can brake wheels individually and independently of each other to stop you as quickly as possible, and hopefully avoid a crash.

Just like the external finish, the cabin is well put together, while the materials were at the budget end of the spectrum, fabric instead of leather, and more harder plastics than soft and plush, the ASX didn't feel cheap or nasty.

A downside was more external noise did make it into the cabin, including some bashing and thumping from the suspension, but it was bearable, and again, in fairness to the ASX, southeast Queensland roads are not as well cared for as they could be, and when driving on better road surfaces, the car was correspondingly quieter...

Aside from the CVT's challenges in dealing with stop-start traffic, the ASX is a competent performer, and handled most road conditions comfortably

I KNOW I have said it before, and, undoubtedly, I will say it again in the future about other cars, not just the ASX, but the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) fitted as standard does not do the car justice.

Again, I understand government regulations, here and overseas, are a big part of the problem, with manufacturers forced into compromises they might not otherwise make, but the bottom line is the ASX suffers as a result.

A quick explanation for new readers, CVT is basically a belt running around two pulleys which are constantly changing diameter, (that's the Continuously Variable bit) to keep the engine speed in the optimum engine rev range for a specific speed.

This is wonderful when you are driving at a constant, or near constant, speed for hundreds of kilometres at a time - like driving between Brisbane and Sydney - the engine speed barely changes, and it is the most relaxing drive, as well as the most efficient.

Unfortunately, as soon as you need to drive at variable speeds, like stop-start traffic, you are driving one of the worst transmissions ever, because the pulleys need time to react to the driver's fluctuation throttle inputs, resulting in the engine 'buzzing' to high revs, then the car tries to take off, only to find the brakes are on and it is time to stop again.

The driver is left feeling as though the driveline is at war with itself, and the car is lurching and leaping as the transmission battles to keep up with ever-changing inputs.

Again, very important to note, this is not the fault of Mitsubishi, it is a trait common to all CVTs from all manufacturers, and they are fitted to meet rules requiring fuel economy targets - which are calculated on standardised test cycles, including highway driving - regardless of 'real world' performance.

It is another example of regulators not talking with manufacturers, and imposing an arbitrary target, instead of asking what is technically feasible to achieve optimum performance and efficiencies, in terms of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

So, where were we? Oh, yeah, the ASX in traffic, sadly, not the best performance, but about lineball with similarly equipped models from other manufacturers.

Find some clear, traffic-free (I know, I am a comedian...) road to the Gold or Sunny Coasts, or out to Toowoomba or Toogoolawah, and the ASX shines, it sits nicely on the road, and just hums along, with only a slight plus and minus variation around the cruise control's target speed, just as the manufacturer intended.

The steering is good, the electric power steering eliminates vagueness around the straight ahead position, again this helps reduce driver fatigue, because you are not wrestling the ASX to hold it steady on the road, following undulations but not driving itself into the scenery.

When it is time to change direction, the steering is nicely weighted, not feather light, even at highway speed, so a quarter turn each way is generally enough for lane changes, without snapping the car sideways.

Parking is a doddle, the speed-sensitive system delivers extra assistance at low speed, while reverse parks need more turns on the wheel, they don't need extra muscle power.

Smaller cars, as a general rule, will always have a 'livelier' ride than bigger cars, especially over bumpy roads, because there is less time between front and rear wheels hitting an obstacle, so the impact is still being dealt with by the front end when the rear hits it, but despite that, the ASX ride was reasonable.

There is a solution of course, unlikely, but if governments fixed the roads, all cars would benefit from improved ride quality. Just saying.

Riding higher because of its SUV styling, the ASX does have a bit of lurch and lean on twistier roads, but for most people, who aren't trying to set a new personal best up Mount Tamborine, it is negligible, and Mitsubishi doesn't exactly position it as the 'new' Evo' Lancer race car.

The boosted ride height does make it easier to get in and out, even for less tall people, and for those of us of a normal height, loading the luggage area is easier when you don't have to reach down to get things in and out.

Braking performance is similarly reasonable, if you drive it like a race car, yes, you will be disappointed, but if you drive it how it is intended, there are no issues, maybe an occasional harder push if someone cuts you off in traffic, but otherwise, it does the job.

Mitsubishi struck a fair compromise with the tyre and rim combination, the 18x7" alloys look good, and the 225/50 series rubber is stable enough for a bit of fun driving, but there is enough sidewall to allow some compression over bumps and corrugations before the impact needs to be dealt with by the suspension.

SO, the age-old question - Would I?

No, unlikely, mostly because I don't need a small SUV, but even if I did, the CVT just takes it out of the equation for me.

That said, the ASX remains a practical offering, with decent room for four, bit too squishy to be a permanent five seater, good luggage space, and, in the absence of the new car, it looks good.

But if this is the sort of car you are considering, I would at least put it on the shopping list, especially if Mitsubishi is hanging a few 'runout incentives'.