After a 2 year hiatus, will the Mitsubishi ASX return to Malaysia?
Remember the good old days (10 or 20 years ago or so) when carmakers had stacked lineups filled with multiple vehicles including sedans and smaller crossover SUVs? Yeah, I miss them too, just like when Mitsubishi axed half its lineup in Malaysia and now only has 2 models on sale in the country. Well, one model may return.
The Mitsubishi ASX (RVR or Outlander Sport in some markets), a compact SUV, is one of the brand’s core models which was introduced to Europe in 2010. Based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-B platform, the new ASX is a compact SUV supplied by Renault and developed specifically for the European market.
Moreover, the Mitsubishi ASX disappeared in Malaysia in 2021. While other cars like the Lancer also disappeared from the local lineup long ago, it never made a return and likely never will. This is sad as I actually really like the Lancer but with the new 2023 model year ASX being announced, will it come back to Malaysia soon?
The new 2023 Mitsubishi ASX will be manufactured at Renault’s Valladolid plant in Spain and will be in the brand’s showrooms in select European markets from March 2023. Well, hopefully soon after it debuts in the European market, perhaps the Malaysian market and the SEA market in general.
The new 2023 Mitsubishi ASX features a flowing silhouette from the front to the rear, and the character line which rises toward the rear joins the floating roof to give the vehicle a dynamic styling that expresses its agile driving it also sports a robust grille staging the iconic three-diamond logo in line with the brand’s dynamic shield face.
On top of that, sleek body sides and wide shoulders emphasise the presence of the vehicle on the road and the new generation Mitsubishi ASX also features a wide range of powertrain options to match today’s varying needs in Europe.
What’s more, a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, two electric motors and a 10.5 kWh battery will serve as the top of the line variant which I hope Malaysia gets. The full hybrid (HEV) model consists of a 1.6-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a 1.3 kWh battery.
The interior of the 2023 Mitsubishi ASX is spacious as is its cargo area. The car also features a Smartphone-link Display Audio (SDA) located at the center of the instrument panel, and the Multi-Sense system controlled via the SDA allows the driver to select the drive mode that best suits their preference for greater connectivity.
Naturally, the 2023 Mitsubishi ASX also features a plethora of advanced driver assistance systems such as MI-PILOT single-lane driver assistance technology for highways, which integrates Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Centering Assist (LCA) so you and your family stay safe throughout the ride.
