2023 Mitsubishi ASX unveiled: Just a rebadged Renault Captur

Mitsubishi loyalists will be glad to know that its popular ASX crossover is back - in Europe, at least. What's less exciting, though, is that it will come with a familiar face. To be exact, it'll be a rebadged Renault Captur.

This badge engineered vehicle is a direct result of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, which led to the sharing of components, designs, and sometimes even entire cars such as this Captur... er, ASX, across the board. The latest ASX shares virtually the same sheet metal as its French twin, with the exception of the emblems.

Four powertrain options will be made available, namely a 1.0-litre three-cylinder, a 1.3-litre turbocharged engine with mild hybrid technology, a 1.6-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV) featuring two electric motors (an alternator-starter plus a main motor) and a 10.5 kWh battery, and a 1.6-litre full hybrid (EV) equipped with two electric motors and a 1.3 kWh battery.

Power-wise, the ASX is set to be more than sufficient for city slicking. The entry-level three-banger produces 91 horsepower, and will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission exclusively.

The 1.3-litre variant churns out either 140 or 158 horses, mated to a six-speed manual shifter and seven-speed dual-clutch 'box respectively. The hybrid pushes out 140 horses, while the plug-in hybrid delivers 160. Both 1.6-litre variants will come with an automatic multi-mode gearbox.

Inside, the ASX retains much of its French-ness, with most of the components having been lifted directly from the Captur. Expect a slew of modern features to aid in convenience, such as Smartphone Display Audio (SDA), which helps drivers use connected phone apps on the infotainment display safely. SDA will also allow drivers to use the Multi-Sense drive mode system through its interface.

Behind the wheel, Mitsubishi will equip its latest crossover with a 10.25-inch digital driver display, although a smaller 7.0-inch display is also available. Additionally, an analog instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch display wedged in between the meters will be made available.

As with most modern cars, the ASX comes equipped with advanced driver assistance technologies. MI-PILOT will be available, providing owners with a suite of highway driving-centric features like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Centering Assist (LCA).

The 2023 Mitsubishi ASX will be built in Valladolid, Spain, where a Renault manufacturing plant is located at. It will go on sale in European markets from March next year. Plans for a Singapore arrival (or to Asean markets, for that matter) have yet to be confirmed.

This article was first published in Motorist.