Geneva Preview: Mitsubishi ASX Compact Crossover to Debut in March

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

Mitsubishi has announced that it will officially introduce an all new compact crossover at the Geneva Auto Show. Called the ASX for the European market, it will be sold as the RVR in Japan and is expected to be offered in North America in late 2010 as a 2011 model, slotting just below the recently redesigned Outlander.

Like the Outlander, the ASX is based on the Lancer’s platform, but with the Outlander always being big for its class, Mitsu is now referring to it as a mid-size crossover. The ASX will now fill a spot in the compact crossover segment – which continues to grow.

In Europe it will be sold with a turbocharged 1.8-liter diesel engine. It is expected to be powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder when it debuts in North America.

As for the design of the compact crossover, we have to say it is very much in keeping with the Concept xC that Mitsubishi first showed at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2007.

GALLERY: Mitsubishi ASX

Official release after the jump:

PRESS RELEASE

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation to Premiere All-new ASX Compact Crossover at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show

TOKYO, January 19th, 2010 — Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will premiere its ASX all-new compact crossover from Tuesday March 2, 2010 to Sunday March 14, 2010 at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show held at the Geneva Palexpo in Switzerland.

The ASX is the European-spec version of the Japanese RVR, which is slated to go on sale in Japan from February 2010. MMC’s new compact crossover will seat 5 and will be sequentially introduced in European countries from late spring 2010, aimed at expanding MMC’s passenger car footprint in the region, following in the footsteps of the larger and recently redesigned Outlander mid-size crossover.

Amongst other available powertrains, the European-spec version will be fitted with an all-new Euro 5-compliant 1.8L turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine jointly developed by MMC and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and will feature “Automatic Stop & Go” technology. Together with a 6-speed manual transmission, this combination will provide high environmental efficiency.

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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