Peugeot was a bit late to the serious SUV market so has got up-to-speed by a co-production and platform sharing deal with Mitsubishi.
Its first offering was the 4007. We tested this around a year ago and it was very evidently based on the Mitsubishi Outlander. As you’ll see from our Read the rest of this entry »
Christmas road trips are by far the best time to truly test a car’s capabilities. Not only are there the usual mix of unfamiliar roads to negotiate and passenger comfort to consider through the corners, but you also have to deal with unusually shaped luggage, an endless stream of cretinous motorhomes to overtake and, this year, torrential rain.
The police message that they would target slow drivers didn’t seem to get through to everyone as the drive up to Coromandel fromThameswas annoyingly slow stuck behind an aging ute towing a cruddy boat. However, Christmas should be a time of goodwill to all (wo)men so a lip was bitten and a horn left un-pressed.
We accomplished our journeys in Mitsubishi’s new ASX Sport crossover. It’s like a lifted up Lancer hatch…or a shrunk Outlander. It sits in a segment alongside the Hyundai ix35, Skoda Yeti, and the upcoming Subaru XV (which is based on the Impreza platform). Consequently this means it’s going to suit those who want SUV styling and the raised driving position, but don’t want to go for the full-blown SUV experience and associated body roll. Read the rest of this entry »
Peugeot has pulled the covers off its first foray into the compact crossover segment with its new 4008 model. The small SUV is scheduled for a global reveal next March at the Geneva Motor Show before going on sale in select markets from May 2012.
The 4008 will find a place in the Peugeot range below the larger 3008 and 4007 models and is based on the Mitsubishi ASX. It is the latest in a string of collaborations after the PSA Peugeot-Citroën group formed an agreement with Mitsubishi in early 2010.
Initially, the new crossover will be made available with four engines but we may not see all of them here in NZ. There’s an even split of two petrol and two diesel units. The petrol engines include a 1.6-litre unit producing 87kW and 152 Nm of torque, and a larger 2.0-litre with 112kW and 198Nm of torque. Both engines are mated to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a CVT auto optional with the 2.0-litre motor. Read the rest of this entry »
Mitsubishi’s new ASX is huge, not in size but in importance for the Japanese brand. The recession has been tough on Mitsubishi but now its time to fight back and the ASX is being wheeled out as the weapon to turn the tables. The ASX name stands for Active Smart Crossover and the vehicle slots into the fast growing family compact crossover segment currently occupied by the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Yeti and Hyundai ix35. Although it’s a niche market segment, it is one with broad appeal to buyers who want SUV 
styling and practicality but don’t need a rugged off-road battler or seven-seater capability. So the ASX is targeted at the right spot but does it have enough firepower to hit its mark? Car and SUV got locked and loaded into a new Mitsubishi ASX Sport to get the answers.
Mechanically, the ASX has borrowed heavily from the Outlander and Lancer models but the styling is all its own¦ well almost. Up front, the ASX receives the jet fighter front grille keeping it aligned with most of Mitsubishi’s current product. From the A-pillars back the ASX has a razor-cut modern character and while it uses the same platform as the Outlander it’s new-model charm will turn heads in this new segment. Puffed-out fenders and an upswept shoulder line give the ASX an athletic profile and fine detailing like chrome ringed fog lamps and 16-inch alloys add a feeling of quality. The ASX also comes with an in-built party trick in the form of durable front guards that pop back out without damage if knocked or pushed in. It’s exactly this sort of progressive detailing that makes the ASX stand out.
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand has officially launched its all-new ASX (Active Smart Crossover) in NZ at an event yesterday.
To reflect consumer demand, Mitsubishi has brought its light weight, compact bodied SUV to the New Zealand market. ASX marks the company’s attempt at integrating the simple functionality and compact size of the hatchback with the utility and style of an SUV.
Under the bonnet, there’s a choice of a fuel efficient 2.0 litre DOHC MIVEC Petrol Engine and a 1.8 litre DOHC MIVEC Intercooled Turbo Diesel Engine inside the 4WD Diesel Sport. The two MIVEC engine options deliver solid daily driveability and impressive fuel economy. Fuel economy and CO2 figures on the 2WD models are 7.9 L/100km and 184 g/km respectively, while the 4WD comes in at 
8.1 L/100km and 188 g/km. The Diesel Sport model rounds out the range with fuel economy of 5.9 L/100km and C02 emissions of 155 g/km.
Inside the ASX is a soft touch dash and freshly designed 3D embossed seat fabric options.
All three sport models are equipped with steering wheel mounted audio controls and Bluetooth hands free audio. There’s a one touch start button and Electronic Power Steering which compliments the high ride height of the ASX, while the light weight impact resistant front guard will minimize the damage from small impact items like shopping trolleys in supermarket car parks.
Safety features in the ASX are impressive, with Active Stability Control and seven airbags earning the 2WD ASX models a five star ANCAP safety rating.
“The ASX is such a smart, efficient package we think city dwellers who own hatches and sedans will see it as a ‘step up’,” said Mitsubishi Head of Sales & Marketing Strategy Daniel Cook. “All the
SUV plusses like lots of space flexibility and the panoramic driving position, plenty of vitality and ooomph, but without the bulk that often just isn’t practical in the city and suburbs.”
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand previewed the arrival of the all new ASX (Active Smart Crossover) at a press event in Auckland yesterday.
To reflect consumer demand, Mitsubishi is entering the compact crossover market segment with the light weight, compact bodied ASX.
Under the ASX bonnet, lays a fuel efficient 2.0 litre DOHC MIVEC Petrol Engine or alternatively a 1.8 litre DOHC MIVEC Intercooled Turbo diesel engine inside the 4WD Diesel Sport. This diesel unit will appeal to brand customers who have been waiting for a diesel-powered Mitsubishi passenger car. Fuel economy and CO2 figures are impressive with the 2WD models returning 7.9 L/100Km economy and 184 
g/Km C02 respectively, while the 4WD comes in at 8.1 L/100Km and 188 g/Km. The Sport model rounds out the range with fuel economy of 5.9 L/100Km and C02 emissions of 155 g/Km.
Interior appointments on the ASX include a new soft touch dash and a freshly designed 3D embossed seat fabric option. All three sport models are equipped with steering wheel mounted audio controls and Bluetooth. Electronic Power Steering will make the ASX easily manageable and the generous ride height will allow for good visibility, while the light weight impact resistant front guard will minimize the damage from small impact items like shopping trolleys in supermarket car parks.
“The ASX is such a smart, efficient package we think city dwellers who own hatches and sedans will see it as a ‘step up’”, said Mitsubishi Head of Sales & Marketing Strategy Daniel Cook. “All the SUV plusses like lots of space flexibility and the panoramic driving position, plenty of vitality and ooomph, but without the bulk that often just isn’t practical in the city and suburbs”. Previewing the new ASX, Cook said he couldn’t imagine a vehicle that was better placed to meet the demands of such a wide range of drivers.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and PSA Peugeot Citroën have announced today that the parties have come to an agreement to start a new collaborative project regarding a compact SUV.
This agreement provides for the development and adaptation for both the Peugeot and Citroën marques of a compact SUV, based on an existing Mitsubishi platform.
Launched early 2012 in Europe, these new compact SUVs will have specific designs for Peugeot and Citroën while sharing many components with the Mitsubishi vehicle, named RVR in Japan and ASX here in NZ.
These vehicles will be available in both four- and two-wheel drive. The projected volume for Peugeot and Citroën will reach 50,000 units per year for both brands.
Under the agreement, PSA Peugeot Citroën will use its 1.6 HDi diesel engine snatched from the parts bin for its own models. CO2 emissions with this engine will be particularly low for this type of vehicle, targeting, for the two-wheel drive version, 123g CO2 / km and less than 4.7 litres per 100km fuel economy.
For PSA Peugeot Citroën, the new vehicles will expand the ranges of both Peugeot and Citroën and attract new customers in a market segment they believe will grow worldwide by almost 60% by 2015.
For Mitsubishi Motors, the additional volume will enable it to bolster production of this platform.
This is the 4th cooperative project between the two partners, after the SUV Mitsubishi Outlander, Peugeot 4007 and Citroën C-Crosser agreement in 2005, the construction of a joint plant in Russia that has just been inaugurated, and the European launch in late 2010 of the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-zero electric vehicles, based on MMC’s Japanese i-MiEV model.
To read a Car and SUV road test of the Mitsubishi Outlander, click here.
To read a Car and SUV road test of the Peugeot 4007, click here.
