THE name Shogun has for many years been synonymous with its creator Mitsubishi but in today’s motor world there is much more to the Japanese car maker than this time honoured 4x4.
For the Mitsubishi stable now also houses the likes of the Colt, the Lancer, the Outlander plus the i-Miev electric car and its latest creation - the ASX crossover.
The inside story of the ASX is one of a very well put together neatly laid out cabin. The interior is surprisingly quiet and comfortable and the new soft touch materials and plentiful standard equipment make this a pretty good value proposition.
Driven here is the ASX 3 which includes the likes of air con, reversing sensors, CD/MP3 player with aux-in audio jack, electrically controlled and folding door mirrors, heated rear seating.
Also in the manifest are safety items such as ABS brakes, stability and traction control, hill start assist system, electronic brake distribution, brake assist, emergency stop signal system, dual stage front, side and curtain airbags, along with a Kenwood in-car entertainment and ISOFIX child seat anchorage.
The interior is also hugely flexible with split fold rear seating with variable seat back adjustment while a rear armrest holds a ski hatch and cup holders.
In addition there is some 30-litres of under floor stowage space while the boot delivers 442 litres of room with all seats taken extending to a maximum of 1,193 litres.
Rear seat passengers benefit from some decent head and leg room courtesy of the car’s long wheelbase.
Set on the same platform as the Outlander all-wheel-drive model, Mitsubishi’s ASX comes with a decidedly businesslike set up.
From a raised driving position overall vision is good and it provides car-like handling abilities for normal town and country progress.
However, should the going get tough just a mere twist of a transmission tunnel positioned dial is all that’s required to send drive to all four wheels.
I found this new Active Sports Crossover from Mitsubishi well able to compete in today’s expanding market against rivals such as Nissan’s Qashqai thanks to a decent 1.8-litre turbo diesel engine paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.
It proved well capable of a 0-62mph time of under 10 seconds while also being nicely economical at around 50mpg.
Helping the ASX achieve its impressive economy figures and emissions level of 145g/km is the excellent Mitsubishi Auto Stop & Go System as well as electric power steering system, low rolling resistance tyres, and regenerative braking.
This Mitsubishi is a very stylish package with a low and balanced silhouette highlighted by imposing wheel arches and the bold 'jet fighter' front grille making it a model which stands out from the crowd.
FAST FACTS
Mitsubishi ASX 3 1.8 DiD 4WD
Price: £22,299
Mechanical: 147bhp, 1,798cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 124mph
0-62mph: 9.7 seconds
Combined mpg: 51.4
Insurance group: 19
CO2 emissions: 145g/km
BiK rating: 21%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles
Words: Malcolm Robertshaw