2023 Mitsubishi ASX comes in as a badge-engineered Renault Captur

by Fazeen Abdeen. October 19, 2022.

Asian Car News

Mitsubishi is nowhere near what it once used to be, years ago. In most markets, the once star-studded line-up has been whittled down to mostly economy cars and crossovers. Mitsubishi ASX is one of the volume sellers for the brand and as the time has come to revive it for a new generation, they have turned to their partner brand for help. And here it is, the 2023 Mitsubishi ASX.

Familiar looks

The elephant in this room is quite unmissable. The 2023 Mitsubishi ASX is a badge-engineered version of the Renault Captur. Instead of developing a completely new model from scratch, Mitsubishi turned towards Renault, which is tied to Mitsubishi as a part of the Renaut-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. And hence, we end up with the 2023 Mitsubishi ASX, a Renault Captur with a new grill design, and a Mitsubishi badge.

But it is not completely bad news. For someone looking for a practical, family crossover, the Captur is not a bad vehicle to start with. By borrowing this lineup, the 2023 Mitsubishi ASX also gets a plug-in hybrid model, which will help its popularity among the increasingly eco-conscious crowd.

Design

The design is already familiar to us. The exterior is nearly identical to the donor car but the grill design is different. The interior is not far off either. The top model gets a 10.25-inch driver’s display screen which is at par with the competition. The infotainment can go as big as 9.3-inches, complete with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.

Engine options

The 2023 Mitsubishi ASX sits on the CMF-B platform. In European markets, the ASX gets a healthy list of five engines to choose from. The base model is a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder motor with 90 hp. A bigger 1.3-litre 4-cylinder comes with mild-hybrid tech and in two states of tune, 138 hp and 156 hp. These get paired with a 6-speed manual, and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, respectively.

There are two hybrid models at the top. The regular hybrid uses a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine with a combined output of 141 hp. The range-topping plug-in-hybrid model gets a 1.6-litre engine itself, but with a higher combined output of 160 hp.

As of now, the 2023 Mitsubishi ASX is slated to go on sale in next year, in some European markets. There is no info on whether this badge engineering will be extended to our market as well.