Mitsubishi ASX vs MG ZST

What's the difference?

The Mitsubishi ASX ES is a compact SUV that, surprisingly, can fit its occupants with relative comfort. The boot is a good size and you have just enough up front to satisfy a driver for everyday use.

The size makes it perfect for urban dwellers and the ongoing costs are fantastic. But by current standards its safety is lacking a fair few items for me.

Will the MG ZST Essence fit a small family? Absolutely, and all but the middle seat passenger will be comfortable but there are areas open for improvement. Like it's safety, laggy tech and adding a few extra items in the back seat.

Yet, it still offers a good host of features and an attractive package for a reasonable price tag. Unfortunately, my son missed having the basic amenities but did like the sun roof.

I love how the ASX looks. It has a wide stance and enough squared edges to not look too cute but its compact size should appeal to urban dwellers where space is at a premium.

The two panels at the front, which sandwich the chrome grille and house quad LED lights, add a lot of personality to the ES.

As do the 18-inch alloys and the way the lights jut out at the rear. There are multiple bright paintwork colours to choose from if you want to add your own flair.

Once inside, you’re reminded that you’re in a base-type model with the analogue instrument panel, traditional gear-shifter and handbrake, but I have fallen in ‘like’ with how old-school it is.

The fabric trims feature a nice lattice-pattern and the dashboard is simple with just three climate dials to navigate.

Overall, the interior is no-nonsense but that might appeal to drivers who don’t want to be overwhelmed by their car and its tech.

Being the newer and shinier version of the ZS, the ZST presents as a nice little package with its full suite of LED exterior lights, shiny chrome accents and its well-shaped body.

The front is distinctively different from its design muse with a darkened grille, and redesigned fog lights that feature new air intake vents. Other highlights include the 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels with sporty red brake calipers lurking behind them.

The interior is pleasant with a massive sunroof creating a light-filled space and giving the illusion that the cabin is larger than it is.

The synthetic leather upholstery and trims seem robust and perfect for families, but also feel quite plasticky under hand. The red badge embossing on the headrests is lovely, though.

The dashboard is well-proportioned and headlined by an upgraded 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system and fully digital instrument cluster.

The gearshift feels a tad too skinny and tall for the general aesthetic but the circular air-vents add some cute personality.

The ASX is roomier up front than in the rear, and taller occupants will be most comfortable in the front row. There is plenty of head- and legroom, and surprisingly for this class, there’s also a good amount of elbow room!

The front seats are comfortable and well padded and adjust manually but I miss having lumbar support on longer trips.

The fabric trims look nice and it’s great that carpet mats come standard in the ES.

The back seat offers an okay amount of room for my 168cm (5'6") height but taller occupants may feel squished.

My son struggled at times to fit his large school bag through the smaller door apertures, as they are not as wide as the front. However, its 205mm ground clearance makes it an easy car to slide into most of the time.

The back seats aren't terribly comfortable because you feel like you’re perched on top as they sit straight like a church pew. Expect a few 'oomphs' from passengers when going around corners.

Individual storage options up front are good for this class with a deep middle console and glove box, two cupholders and two drink bottle holders. Plus, there is a little cubby in front of the gear shifter which is the perfect size for a phone.

In the back, there is a single map pocket and two cupholders but I would have liked to have seen at least one USB port, too.

As you might expect at this grade level, the amenities are very basic throughout the car. It takes a while for the air conditioning to hit the back row because of the one-zone climate control and lack of directional air vents back there. This is something my son reminds me of on hot days.

The technology matches the amenities with the 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system being super simple on graphics and options. It is responsive but basic to use.

There are two USB-A ports and a 12-volt for charging and it’s easy to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay. There is wired Android Auto for those users, too.

The instrument panel has a small digital screen that shows your trip information and average fuel usage but is otherwise analogue and easy to read. There is digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity but that’s it for the tech.

The boot is a good size at 393L and you get a temporary spare tyre underneath the floor. The load space is level and while the tailgate isn’t powered, it’s not a heavy lid to operate.

Practicality is hurt by a lack of individual storage options and a back seat that has only two USB-A ports for its amenities.

The cabin space is spacious, though, and both rows have a decent amount of leg- and headroom despite the massive sunroof.

The steering wheel features height but not reach adjustment and to accommodate I have to sit much closer to the wheel than normal thanks to my poor little T-Rex arms.

Individual storage is the best up front with a small middle console and glove box, two cupholders and two drink bottle holders. The doors also feature large storage bins, which is great to keep the cockpit feeling neat.

The rear row gets two map pockets and a small storage bin in each door. There is also a (very) shallow storage nook at the back of the middle console… think a packet of gum or small wallet size.

My seven-year old isn't as comfortable in the rear because it lacks directional air vents, reading lights and a fold-down armrest. All items which will hinder an adult's comfort, too.

The boot space is a good size at 359L but you can bump it to 1187L with the rear seats folded, the backrest featuring a 60/40 split.

The height of the floor is adjustable and when set in the lowest position creates a deep well to tuck larger items, like luggage, into.

The hard cargo cover can be awkward to shift around or store but is otherwise out of the way when it counts.

Other amenities accentuate the premium-feeling the Essence is going for with the heated front seats and electric drivers seat offering well-padded comfort but on longer journeys, I miss having adjustable lumbar support.

The rear seats aren't as comfortable as the front only because the synthetic leather feels slippery, which is accentuated when you hit corners!

In terms of technology, you get two USB-A ports in each row but the front also gets a 12-volt port. You miss out on fast and wireless charging options.

The multimedia system looks great but can be sluggish to respond and the apps can be slow to load but I like the built-in satellite navigation.

The upgraded sound system has six speakers instead of four but the sound quality is a bit tinny with music and calls.

It was simple to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay. It also has Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and AM/FM radio.

There are four variants for the ZST and our test vehicle is the top-spec Essence model, priced at $33,990 drive-away.

Our example's 'Pebble Black' finish is an included colour but other paintwork options can cost an extra $700.

The price point positions it right in the middle of its rivals with the Omoda 5 costing $35,990 drive-away  and the Jolion sliding into the most affordable spot at $30,990 drive-away.

To highlight the value-for-money comparison, the Kia Seltos Sport+ FWD model costs $38,790 drive-away and then you start creeping up into the $40K bracket for similarly specified small SUVs.

The ZST Essence is the top-grade and it has a decent number of premium features for its price tag, like a panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats and an electric driver's seat, keyless entry, keyless start and a full suite of exterior LED lights.

Other standard features include wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system, digital instrument cluster, one-zone air-conditioning, built-in satellite navigation, 360-degree camera system and an upgraded sound system with six speakers.

The ES has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with a maximum power output of 110kW and 197Nm of torque. It is a front-wheel drive and has a continuously variable automatic transmission.

For manual enthusiasts, you can option a five-speed gearbox on the base GS model but I find the ES to be perfectly adequate to run about town in. And while it’s lacking a little in power, it has enough punch for open-road driving if need be.

The Essence variant has a 1.3-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a maximum power output of 115kW and 230Nm of torque.

It's a front-wheel drive and features a six-speed auto transmission. Overall, it has enough power to keep up with traffic on the open road but you have to be firm with the accelerator to keep your speed consistent.

The ES has an official combined cycle fuel economy figure of 7.7km/100km but my real-world usage came to 8.6L.

This is a disappointing figure considering how much open-road driving I do, so I would expect that figure to be higher in the city. Unfortunately, the ES isn’t as economical as I was hoping.

Based on a 7.7L/100km fuel cycle and the 63-litre fuel tank, expect to see a driving range of around 829km.

The official combined cycle fuel figure is 7.3L/100km and my real-world average came in at 7.7L. That is after a good mix of urban and open-road driving, so the usage is good.

Based on the combined fuel cycle and the relatively small 45L fuel tank, expect a driving range of around 616km.

I feel like I’ve gone back to basics with the ASX ES. I’m much more alert in it because it doesn’t have the same standard safety tech that I’m used to (more on that below) and it took me a few drives to stop throwing my keys into the cupholder because you need the key to turn on the ignition.

I've missed the good old-fashioned turning of a key. It’s a lot more satisfying than pressing a button.

Overall, the ES is an enjoyable little SUV to drive and there is enough power to allay any worries about whether it will make it up a hill.

The ES is solidly placed on the road and handles corners well but the steering is not exactly razor sharp and you have to make big adjustments. But you get used to that pretty quickly.

In terms of ride comfort, the suspension is adequate for the smooth stuff but you’ll know it if you hit a bumpy road. The cabin noise also creeps up, which is annoying on a longer trip.

It’s certainly compact with its 4365mm length and 1640mm height but that makes the ASX easy to park. The sloping bonnet and relatively flat behind also make it easy to determine where the car starts and ends.

This is very handy because the reversing camera is a bit blurry and you miss out on front parking sensors at this grade level.

The ZST Essence has an okay amount of power relative to the car's small size.

It's an adequate cruiser when I ferry just my husband and son around, but feels a full load of luggage and people.

The steering is responsive and it's an easy car to manoeuvre in tight car parks or city streets, which is great. The visibility is pretty good despite the chunkier pillars and you feel confident when checking your blind-spots.

While the suspension is fairly forgiving and ride comfort is decent, you will still notice the bumps, especially when seated in the back.

The cabin suffers from some wind and road noise and at higher speeds we had to find we raise our voices a bit to be heard. Around town, you don't notice it.

This is just a personal preference but the brake and accelerator pedals are skinnier and more centrally positioned than I prefer. You get used to it, though.

The ZST is pretty easy to park and it's great that you have a 360-degree camera system but the image quality can be grainy. You get rear parking sensors, too, but miss out on ones at the front.

The ZST Essence has a good suite of safety features that now come standard like rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.

Other standard features include tyre pressure monitoring, LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, seatbelt reminders, a 360-degree camera system and rear parking sensors.

The ZST only features six airbags, while many of its rivals sport seven, including the newer front centre airbag. The ZST variant scored four- from a possible five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2017 testing.

It's important to note that the tested ZS model did not have AEB or lane support systems at the time of testing, these were introduced from the 2020 model year onwards and the ZST has both.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tether anchor points but two child seats will fit best. There is enough room for front occupants when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

The ASX comes with the ‘Diamond Advantage’ that Mitsubishi is well-known for and that means you’ll enjoy a 10-year, or up to 200,000km warranty, whichever occurs first.

What?! I know. Pretty great. In terms of duration, that’s much better than anything else on the market at the moment.

Worth noting, however, that a five-year/100,000km warranty is 'standard' and the 10-year cover only applies to cars serviced according to the factory schedule at an authorised Mitsubishi dealership.

If you do, you’ll also enjoy a 10-year or up to 150,000km capped-priced servicing plan. 

And although the services average on the more expensive side for this class at $502 each, having those extra few years is a bonus.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

The ZST Essence comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is on par with coverage offered by a growing number of its rivals.

There is a seven-year or up to 70,000km servicing program for a total cost of $2339 or an average of $334 per service, which is very competitive for the class.

Servicing intervals are at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first, but could be annoying if you travel a lot.