2020 Mitsubishi ASX Pricing and Specs

Both the petrol and diesel versions of the 2018 ASX used a timing chain rather than a toother rubber timing belt. That means both engines’ timing chains should be good for the life of the engine, although in practice that hasn’t always been the case and some engines do, in fact, need new timing chains if wear develops in the chain or its tensioners. Neither Mitsubishi engine has thus far demonstrated that trait, however, and it’s far less common if the engine has been serviced correctly.

The task of the timing chain or timing belt is exactly the same: They take drive from the engine’s crankshaft to the camshaft and, in the process, keep all the moving parts in harmony. Many car makers moved away from a timing chain to the rubber, toothed drive belt as a way of simplifying engine design and driving down the cost of each engine. The rubber timing belt is also quieter in its operation and is also less prone to stretching (as a timing chain can) so the camshaft stays in perfect synch with the rest of the engine’s rotating parts. It’s a simpler design because it doesn’t need to be tensioned via oil pressure from the engine as many timing chain systems are.

The timing chain, meanwhile, is preferred by some manufacturers because it should last the lifetime of the engine and never need replacement. This isn’t always the case, however, and some engine designs from a variety of manufacturers suffer problems in this regard. But, in a properly maintained engine of sound design, the timing chain should never need attention, while the rubber timing belt generally requires periodic replacement, typically between 60,000 and 120,000km depending on the manufacturer.

For the record, there really is a global shortage of semi-conductors; a shortage that has already seen some big car-makers trim production and even close some plants. As the electric car phenomenon grows, and the average conventional car has anything up to 100 micro-processors, the shortage will only become more critical, so the next few months will be very interesting.

However, I spoke to Mitsubishi Australia about this and it seems your dealer might not be telling you everything. For a start, to even offer you an ASX LS without the safety gear it comes standard with is, according to head office, an impossibility. Why? Because Mitsubishi claims it has never built such a car. The spokesperson I talked to said that, had the correct semi-conductor (or any other part) not been available for that car in that specification, the car would not have been built. Simple as that. I’m not sure what Mitsubishi dealers are saying, but that’s head office’s view.

Which brings us to the question of your contract. Put simply, if the vehicle you’re being offered does not match the vehicle as described in the contract of sale, then you can call the deal off with no ramifications. And since this is major safety gear we’re talking about being AWOL, the car on offer most certainly does not match what you signed up for. So you can stop worrying on that front.

Then we move on to what the dealer is really trying to sell you. There’s a feeling within Mitsubishi that the dealer probably has stocks of a particular variant of the ASX, but one which doesn’t have the LS model’s standard safety kit. And that’s what they’re trying to unload on to you. So don’t have it.

If you go through with the deal, you’ll inevitably be buying a car that doesn’t live up to the safety levels you wanted when you originally ordered the LS model. It will be worth less as a trade-in in a few years, too, as used-car buyers (like everybody else) are increasingly interested in safety. As it stands, being offered a $300 discount on a car that doesn’t exist smells very odd to me. I’d be talking to Mitsubishi Australia’s customer service department and explaining your case. Sometimes you need to go to a higher court than the dealership itself.

Mitsubishi quotes a power output of 110kW at 3500rpm and torque of 360Nm at 1500rpm for that vehicle. All these figures – and plenty more - can be found within the Carsguide website by clicking on the prices and specs tab and entering the make, model and year.