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The 2010 ASX wasn't Mitsubishi's first foray into the small, city-based SUV sphere – that honour went to the chunky little go-anywhere Pajero iO offered from the late '90s to the mid-2000s.
Based on the CJ Lancer small-car platform, the ASX was a slow burner initially, but keen pricing, competitive equipment levels, good looks and lots of interior space for a small SUV helped it garner a strong following right into the 2020s.
At first turbo-diesel as well as all-wheel drive versions were available, but after a series of small facelifts, the range settled down to the mainstay 2.0-litre petrol or – from the late-2019 makeover – a gutsier 2.4-litre petrol option. Both drive the front wheels only.
Current prices range from $24,490 for the ASX GS (2WD) to $35,240 for the ASX Exceed (2WD).
This vehicle is also known as The Mitsubishi ASX is also known as Mitsubishi Outlander Sport in markets outside Australia..
Standard accessories for the ASX include turn-key operation, LED headlights, DRLs, front fog lights, electric side mirrors, two USB-A ports, two 12-volt sockets, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Bluetooth, digital radio, four-speaker sound system, reversing camera, air-conditioning, dust and pollen filter, and child safety locks on rear doors.
The ASX was launched in Australia in 2010 and from the very start was offered with a CVT transmission, as well as a conventional manual transmission, depending on what specification you chose. The ASX’s CVT differs from some by having six fixed steps which makes the car feel and sound a little less alien to drive, but also potentially sacrifices a small degree of efficiency. That’s because the CVT is most efficient when allowed to use an infinite range of just-so ratios, rather than the six fixed ones Mitsubishi specified.
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First things first. Your daughter’s car came with a five-year warranty. That warranty will have started when the car was first registered. So job one is to see if it’s still within that five-year/100,000km window and, if it is, make this Mitsubishi’s problem. Even if the car is slightly out of warranty, if it’s been serviced properly, you might find Mitsubishi will meet you part-way with the cost of repairs.
Beyond that, the touch-screen function has either failed or the unit has experienced a moment of electronic confusion. See if there’s a reset function for the head unit and if there is, perform the reset and see if it comes back to life. The other thing to try would be to disconnect the car’s battery for at least ten minutes and see if the screen recovers when you reconnect the battery.
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This is a very common problem for owners of modern turbo-diesel cars who only do short, stop-start runs in city or suburban traffic. When the engine and exhaust can’t get hot enough for a DPF burn-off, the computer dumps extra fuel into the engine to get everything hot. If some of this excess fuel gets into the engine’s sump, it can force the level of the sump to rise, leading to the warning light you’ve just seen.
In the worst-case scenario, this fuel in the sump will dilute the lubricating oil and that can lead to a damaged engine. But as you’ve found, even if that isn’t the case, there’s still a price to pay to manually force the DPF to burn off as well as change the oil for fresh, undiluted stuff.
The solution is to make sure you drive the car for at least half an hour at freeway speeds once or twice a month. That will get things hot enough for a complete DPF burn and will keep you out of the workshop. Mind you, making this sort of effort might cost you more than the fuel savings you gain from owning a diesel car. This is just one reason a modern turbo-diesel is not ideal for every consumer.
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For the class, the ASX has a large boot capacity at 393L when all seats are in use but it can be bumped up to 1193L (1143L for the GSR and Exceed models) when you fold the rear row.
The boot space features a retractable cargo cover and a space-saver spare wheel but no model gets a powered tailgate.
The features and styling of the ASX cabin are fairly similar across the grades until you hit the two top grades; where the heavier use of plastics on panelling, accents, the gear-shifter and steering wheel are replaced by softer touchpoints and synthetic leather.
The dashboard is headlined by an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, analogue instrument cluster and lots of traditional elements in the form of physical buttons, dials and touchpoints.
The cabin is overall pleasant but it doesn’t wow.
A panoramic sunroof is available on the Exceed grade.
The GS (both manual and auto variants), ES, MR and LS models have a two-wheel-drive drivetrain and share the same 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 110kW of power and 197Nm of torque.
The GS manual variant has five gears, while all other variants have a continuously variable transmission.
The GSR and Exceed models share a 2.4L four-cylinder petrol engine which produces 123kW of power and 222Nm of torque.
The Mitsubishi ASX features five seats in a 2/3 configuration.
The second row has a 60/40 split and a fold-down armrest with two cupholders. This row folds flat when stored.
The drivers seat features manual adjustments in all but the top Exceed grade, and heated front seats are also only available on this top model.
The GS, ES, MR and LS models have black cloth upholstery; while the GSR model features black microsuede with synthetic leather accents.
The top Exceed grade has leather appointed upholstery.
None of the ASX grades have an official 0-100km/h sprint time but all would be able to achieve a sprint time of under 10-seconds.
All models have an estimated top speed of around 180km/h.
The manual GS has an official combined fuel cycle figure of 7.7L/100km and coupled with its 63L fuel tank, you should expect a theoretical driving range of up to 818km.
The GS (auto), ES, MR, and LS have an official combined fuel cycle figure of 7.6L/100km and coupled with their 63L fuel tank, you should expect a theoretical driving range of up to 829km.
The GSR and Exceed have an official combined fuel cycle figure of 7.9L/100km and coupled with their 63L fuel tank, you should expect a theoretical driving range of up to 797km.
Mitsubishi recommends a minimum 91RON unleaded petrol to be used for all ASX models.