New 2020 Mitsubishi ASX on sale in September

The new Mitsubishi ASX SUV will be on sale in Britain this September. Following a debut at the Geneva Motor Show and our first drive of the revised Nissan Qashqai rival, Mitsubishi has begun to detail the level of standard equipment buyers can expect, when the new car hits showrooms this autumn. 

The fresh compact SUV gets a completely fresh design inside and out, Mitsubishi’s latest infotainment system and a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine finds its way under the bonnet.

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The exterior of the new Mitsubishi ASX has undergone a major overhaul, adopting the same “Dynamic Shield” design language as the latest Eclipse Cross, Outlander and Shogun Sport.

As such, the ASX gets a new front bumper, a fresh grille, a deeper bonnet, redesigned LED headlights and new skid plates for the front and rear.

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Inside, the new ASX gets the latest version of Mitsubishi’s Smartphone-link Display Audio system. The screen-size has been increased from seven to eight inches and support has been added for TomTom navigation, real-time traffic updates and maintenance reminders. As an added benefit, videos stored on USB memory sticks can now be viewed on the car’s infotainment system. Elsewhere, Mitsubishi claims the materials used inside have improved, and that the cabin feels higher quality than before.

The new ASX borrows the Outlander’s naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing a likely 148bhp and 195Nm of torque. It replaces the old 1.6-litre previously found under the bonnet. 

Buyers will be able to choose from either front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive, as well as a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT. The CVT ASX is fitted with a “six-speed Sports Mode” too, which can fix the variable transmission into six preset ratios for performance applications. With the new engine on board Mitsubishi claims that performance improves.

The Front-wheel-drive, manual version of the new ASX completes 0-62mph two seconds faster than before, doing the benchmark sprint in 10.2 seconds. Top speed improves 4mph to 118mph. Four-wheel-drive, CVT equipped cars are slightly slower as 12.2-seconds to 62mph, but boast a similar improvement over the old 1.6-litre ASX. More importantly, Mitsubishi claims a significant boost in acceleration at speed, making the CVT ASX far easier to overtake in. 

Prices have not been announced but two trim levels have been confirmed ahead of the new car's launch. Basic models are badged Design and will be offered exclusively with front-wheel-drive and a manual gearbox. Standard equipment will include 18-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights and running lights, heated front seats, a leather steering wheel and gearknob, cruise control, the eight-inch smartphone link display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic lights and wipers plus a rear view camera. 

One step up the ladder will be the Dynamic spec car, offered with the option of four-wheel-drive. In addition to the Design car, a panoramic glass roof, full leather interior with an electrically adjustable driver's seat, TomTom navigation, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and lane change assist. 

Click here for all the latest in the build-up to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show...