Hybrid Cars: Mitsubishi Unveils New ASX and Surprises With Its Engine Options

At The Start Of The Hybrid Car Market, Mitsubishi Shared Various Items From The French Car

Last week, Mitsubishi unveiled its new model, the ASX, which looks very similar to the Renault Captur. Trying to get ahead in the hybrid car market, the vehicle was built on the same platform as the French model, the CFM-B, and the Japanese car shares the same items: “C” shaped headlights, hood, wheels, and the design of the rear.

While it is somewhat curious, there are no issues between the two manufacturers due to the Alliance conglomerate, which includes Mitsubishi, Nissand Renault. The agreement specifies technology sharing among the automakers, which also means that hybrid cars will be more alike across brands. However, Mitsubishi took the agreement to the maximum. The difference between the Captur and the new ASX is the front grille, which will not have horizontal slats but rather vertical bars. Regarding the vehicle’s dimensions, the width has increased to 1.80 meters from 1.73 of the previous version.

Hybrid Cars From Mitsubishi Stand Out For Their Options

The hybrid car engines stand out for the quality of options available, as there are five. Two of them are mild hybrid cars, in addition to a conventional hybrid. There are also plug-in hybrid and combustion options. In the most basic version, the ASX is equipped with a 1.0 turbo engine producing 92 hp and 16.31 kgfm, with a six-speed manual transmission. In the mild hybrids, the combustion engine remains the same, at 1.3 liters. In the smaller model, the power output is 139 hp, with torque of 26.5 kgfm. In the larger version, we have 158 hp and 27.5 kgfm. In the full hybrid version, there is a 1.6 four-cylinder combustion engine, which operates at high speed as a generator for the 1.3 kWh battery.

It is worth mentioning that the plug-in hybrid ASX has the same 1.6 engine but works with a 10.5 kWh battery, which gives the car a range of 47 to 49 kilometers in 100% electric mode. Moreover, it is the most powerful version of the model, with 162 hp and 14.68 kgfm of torque. Regarding safety features, the model comes with emergency braking assistance, lane departure warning, signal recognition, and parking assistance. Thus, the model leads among hybrid cars, proving to be dynamic and current.

On the other hand, the intermediate versions still come with blind-spot assistance, active lane departure warning, and a speed alert. The top version includes driving assistants such as adaptive cruise control and active lane assistance. In Brazil, the ASX model has become the Outlander Sport. However, it is not expected to be released in Europe, and therefore, its prices have not been announced.