2017 Mazda CX-3 vs Mitsubishi ASX

What's the difference?

Mazda's baby SUV, the CX-3, has been nothing short of a sales sensation since its release almost two years ago. After grabbing the segment by the scruff off its neck and tossing aside its erstwhile sales leader, the Mitsubishi ASX, like the whimpy kid in the playground, the minute Mazda has established itself as the Boy King.

Competition is getting hotter, though, and in a growing segment, you have to stay on your toes. Mazda recently gave the CX-3 range some attention to counter the arrival of Toyota's C-HR, while helping to continue to fend off its other rival, Honda. More trouble looms later in the year with the arrival of the Hyundai Kona.

Up here at the top of the range, however, not too far away from Euro offerings from Mini and Audi, things are pretty relaxed. Just 10 per cent of Mazda sales go the Akari's way, but that's still a healthy number (particularly in terms of Mazda's profits). Does the Akari have what it takes to hold buyers back from taking the plunge on a Countryman, or stretching even further to a Q2?

Tim Robson road tests and reviews the new Mitsubishi ASX with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The Mitsubishi ASX small SUV has been a mainstay of the local Mitsubishi lineup since 2010, and the range underwent a minor update in late 2016 for the 2017 model year.

The five-seat, four-door SUV competes in the same segment of the new car market as the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V, with the three cars representing the most popular vehicles in the burgeoning sector.

With the recent purchase of Mitsubishi by the Nissan Renault Alliance, the ASX is likely to soldier on in largely the same form until at least 2019, when it’s likely to be replaced by a vehicle that will share a platform and engines across all three brands.