Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Makes Waves Under the ASX Name in Europe
Mitsubishi Motors has been hanging onto its Outlander Plug-in Hybrid as its sole electrified model in the lineup for years now. After doing very well overseas, the Japanese automaker brought it stateside. At first, the Outlander plug-in did very well for itself, but it would seem interest has tapered off ever since. Sales for the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid are down, but make way for new electrified models Mitsubishi is getting from its investment into Ampere. Mitsubishi Motors already has a new crossover on the way, and it may even be electrified. There is no guarantee what that is, but the new and refreshed Mitsubishi ASX in Europe could be exactly what we’re talking about – the ASX is also known as the Outlander Sport.
Ah, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. A little more compact than the original Outlander, it seems to be outshined as of late if we compare its exterior look to its parent model. The next-gen Outlander has more of a swept back look that makes it the new sporty vehicle, so of course the model that wears the name needs a little refresher to claim the title once again. That brings us to the new ASX in Europe with an all-new attitude. From the ground up, it sits on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-B platform, the ASX is more refined and modern for the auto market of today.
Mitsubishi Motors’ Dynamic Shield design identity will always be a strong point of the front fascia design, and this time, it’s accentuated by a blacked out front bumper in the center to really make it pop. The same could be said for the grille, complementing the three-diamond logo with satin silver motifs. We’re seeing vertical headlights as the new theme in the auto market, and the new Mitsubishi ASX surely follows suit with L-shaped LED headlights before giving way to a smooth profile and newly designed 18-inch black alloy wheels with a sharp diamond-cut look.
Mitsubishi has always been a little slow to bring its tech into the modern age, and continues to tout its Smartphone-link Display Audio (SDA) system. This year, it comes with a 10.4-inch display and introduces the first Mitsubishi model to come with a Google built-in connected service. Finally, that agreement between Google and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance pays off. A Google-powered operating system (OS) will be the next step. The current connected service may as well be, offering consumers access to Google Assistant and voice commands for making phone calls and sending texts, playing music, setting reminders, and controlling the temperature. There’s also, of course, Google Maps for navigation and real-time traffic information, and Google Play for downloading apps. It’s just like a smartphone in the car. Safety also gets an upgrade with Park Assist which helps the driver find a parking space and helps with garage parking, front-facing parking, and parallel parking.
Best of all, the new Mitsubishi ASX comes with three types of powertrains – a full hybrid (HEV) model, a mild hybrid model, and a gasoline model. The HEV model comes with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and two electric motors (powered by a 1.2 kWh battery). It’s unclear what a “mild hybrid” model is, but the gasoline counterpart is a 1.3-liter direct injection turbocharged engine. The gasoline model comes with a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine, but no power specs have been shared for either.
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