New Mitsubishi ASX 2023: the Japanese SUV "made in Spain", first cousin of the Captur

Alliances exist for these things. And the one that Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi have had since 2017 has allowed the latter to present a new generation of its popular segment B SUV, the new Mitsubishi ASX, taking advantage not only of the CMF-B platform on which the Renault Captur is based. You don’t need to look very closely to discover that, practically speaking, the Mitsubishi ASX is a copy of the French model; you’d struggle to find the differences. Outside… and inside too. The new Mitsubishi ASX will even be built in the same factory where the Captur is assembled, the Renault plant in Valladolid. More synergy, impossible.

A Renault Captur dressed as a Mitsubishi

At Mitsubishi they say the new ASX “integrates the brand’s distinctive Dynamic Shield design language at the front.” That is no longer synergy, it’s marketing. Because whichever way you look at it, the ASX is a Captur with a slight change to the grille and the Japanese brand’s logos. The French SUV’s design is unmistakable, with very distinctive features such as its front and rear headlights, its wedge-shaped profile, the floating-roof effect created by the two-tone paintwork…

All of that is repeated in the ASX, logically with the same dimensions: 4.23 metres long, 1.57 metres high and 1.80 metres wide, with a wheelbase of 2.64 metres. When it reaches the market in 2023, buyers will be able to choose from six body colours, with the top-spec versions featuring a black roof. And as on the Captur, the wheels will be 17 or 18 inches, and from what we’ve seen, some of them with the same design.

There are no changes inside either. Apart from the Mitsubishi logo, even the steering wheel is identical to the Captur’s, so the ASX offers a cabin with good habitability, a boot of 400 litres capacity and the connectivity and driver-assistance technologies we already know from the French SUV. Among them, the keyless smart entry, the multimedia screen of the system called SDA here, which can be 7 inches (landscape) or 10 inches (portrait), the option of a digital instrument cluster with 7 or 9.3 inches, and the Multi-Sense system that lets you choose between different driving modes.

Combustion versions MHEV, hybrid and plug-in hybrid

And as it could hardly be otherwise, the engine range also comes from the Captur’s “parts bin”. The entry-level version uses the 1.0 three-cylinder petrol engine with 90 CV, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. Next comes the 130T MHEV, with the 1.3 four-cylinder turbocharged engine and mild hybrid system, producing 140 CV and carrying the ECO label from the DGT. In this case you can opt for the 7DCT dual-clutch automatic as an alternative to the manual gearbox.

Above these sit the 160 HEV hybrid and the 160 PHEV plug-in hybrid, with the same propulsion system as the Captur E-TECH and Captur E-TECH PHEV. The former produces 145 CV, while the plug-in hybrid reaches 160 CV, and thanks to its 10.5 kWh battery it can travel up to 49 km in fully electric mode.

For now the prices for the Mitsubishi ASX have not been revealed, although the best reference is the Renault Captur itself, available from just over 19,000 euros for the entry version and from 21,900 for the 1.3 MHEV, according to the current offer on the Renault website, which includes the commercial discount but not the financing-linked one. For the hybrid, prices start at 26,000 euros, and from 30,400 for the plug-in hybrid.

What will set the ASX apart is the “Mitsubishi Service Commitment”, which comes as standard and includes a 5-year or 100,000 km warranty, plus roadside assistance for 5 years.

Mitsubishi ASX 2023 – Image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverMitsubishi ASX8 versions · from 25,250 €