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What's the difference?
The Mitsubishi ASX ES is the baby SUV from the Mitsubishi stable. It has a great kerbside look and the dimensions that makes it your best friend in the city but it hasn’t had a true redesign and that means it has some solid competition from other compact SUVs, like the Kia Seltos, MG ZS and Suzuki Vitara.
In a market where technology and style are at the forefront, how does the ASX hold its own and what does it get right? This week, my family of three has been finding out for you!
In just a few years, Skoda's SUV line-up has increased from zero models to three. And with the Enyaq EV expected in the next year, that will soon rise to four.
Sitting at the bottom of the line-up is the Kamiq small SUV that, in just over a year, has developed a reputation as a solid, capable offering in a crowded segment.
The Volkswagen Group-owned Czech brand has repositioned the Kamiq line-up more than once since launch and last year Skoda lobbed a new entry variant, dubbed the Ambition.
But has the likeable model lost some of its sheen now it's no longer a circa-$25k bargain? Or is it still one of the top small SUV picks in Australia?
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.
The Kamiq's entry price is much higher than when Skoda Australia launched the small SUV, and it is missing key features - some of which are a result of the semiconductor crisis and beyond the company's control.
It also proved a little thirstier than expected too, but for the most part, the Kamiq is a solid pick.
It is one of the most enjoyable small SUVs, of any price, to drive, with sharp dynamics and a willing turbocharged engine.
A spacious-for-the-segment cabin and top-notch tech add to the Kamiq's appeal.
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.
The Kamiq is something of a contradiction in that it is visually appealing, yet conservative at the same time.
The standard Candy White paint of our test car probably didn't help the staid vibe.
But, there are elements – such as the split headlights with a crystal-like pattern of the daytime running lights, and the well-crafted rear end – that set the Kamiq apart.
These features and the signature grille leave no doubt that you're driving a Skoda.
If you're after a more visually arresting Kamiq, check out the sporty looking Monte Carlo.
Inside, the design is again on the conservative European side. In fact, in Ambition grade at least, the Kamiq's cabin looks a little drab.
The cream headliner and a metal-look insert running the width of the dash breaks up the grey, and there are some interesting angles to the dash and door panels, but it all looks a bit generic.
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.
The cabin might look a little drab, but you'd be hard-pressed to fault the overall quality of the interior.
There are some hard plastics on the lower part of the dash but soft-touch materials on top. The Kamiq features a lovely flat-bottom, perforated leather steering wheel that feels nice to touch and has simple controls. However, the cruise control buttons are housed on a stalk on the left side of the steering column. It can be hard to see the controls on these secondary stalks which are often hidden behind the steering wheel and we don't know why carmakers insist on using them. Keep cruise controls on the steering wheel, please.
Tall folk will love the headroom in the Kamiq, and it's easy to find a good seating position but the front seats aren't super supportive. They could do with a little more thigh padding.
The Kamiq's design ensures it is one of the best models in its class when it comes to visibility; there's plenty of glass and narrow pillars, meaning no obvious blind spots.
It features a small but deep central storage bin, a decent glove box, good space for big bottles (1.5L bottles, according to Skoda) and more in the front doors.
The configurable ‘Virtual Cockpit' digital instrument cluster is hard to fault. Although the system asks to hit the ‘OK' button to reset the trip computer, we could not locate an OK button anywhere on the steering wheel.
The 8.0-inch multimedia system has a logical menu and it houses functions for the driver-assist features and other vehicle functions.
Annoyingly, the air conditioning controls are split between analogue switches and digital controls via the touchscreen. You can only adjust fan speed on the screen. Surely it makes more sense for this function to be either digital or analogue, not both?
There's a surprising amount of occupant space in the rear, with plenty of legroom behind my 183cm (six foot) frame, and acres of headroom.
As well as the two USB-C ports up front there's a further two in the rear, as well as lower air vents, map pockets, grab handles and coat hooks. Door storage is narrow and will only fit tiny bottles.
The rear seats fold 60/40 and there's no centre armrest.
At 400 litres (1395L with the rear seats folded), it's a decent-sized boot, but it can't match the Kia Seltos (468L).
Being a Skoda, it has handy touches like a storage nook on the side of the cargo area, rubber mats, hooks for a luggage net and a solid cargo blind for added security.
The Kamiq's 16-inch space-saver spare wheel is housed under the boot floor.
There are six models for the ASX and ours is the second-from-the-bottom ES grade, which will cost you $27,990, before on-road costs. Let’s check out some of the features you get for the price tag.
Being at the lower end of the line-up means your specifications are a bit slim in the ES but you do enjoy an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, fabric trims, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as full LED exterior lights.
Other items include 18-inch alloy wheels, one-zone climate control, two USB-A ports, Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors, dusk sensing headlights, rain sensing windscreen wipers, carpet mats, automatic high beam function, and a digital radio.
The price point for the ES places it as one of the more affordable options compared to its similarly specified rivals with the Kia Seltos S coming in at $29,500 and the Suzuki Vitara sitting at $31,490.
However, the MG ZS has a before on-roads cost of just $22,990 and you get a fair few more features than our test model. Some extra standard specification in the ES would make it stand out against its competition.
When the Kamiq launched in Australia in late 2020, the line-up started with the entry-level 85TSI manual from $26,990 before on-road costs. Given how much safety and other standard gear was packed in, it was seen as incredible value for money.
That variant – powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine – was dropped in 2021 and now the most affordable Kamiq is the recently added Ambition manual from $34,690 before on-road costs.
Granted, it has a more powerful and responsive 110kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine – also found in a bunch of other VW Group products – but it's a big jump from the previous entry car.
We tested the Ambition automatic which is priced from $35,690 before on-roads and for that you get cloth seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a power tailgate, manually adjustable front seats, dual-zone air conditioning, keyless entry and start, and an umbrella in the driver's door – a clever Skoda signature.
Tech-wise it has a fully digital instrument cluster, wireless phone-charging, 8.0-inch multimedia display with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a lengthy list of standard safety gear (see safety section below).
But, it is missing some key features like a digital radio and satellite navigation. The former is not available on any Kamiq grade and the latter is standard on the flagship Signature, which is priced from $38,090, and it's part of an option pack on the mid-grade sports-focused Monte Carlo from $37,590.
We can maybe forgive the lack of sat nav, given an increasing number of people use phone-based maps, but the absence of digital radio is weird.
It's much less of a bargain than when it first launched.
In terms of rivals, the Mazda CX-30 starts at just under $30,000, the Kia Seltos starts from $27,290, while the Renault Arkana kicks off at $34,590.
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.
As mentioned, the Kamiq is no longer offered with an entry-level 1.0-litre three-pot unit. Instead, all variants are powered by VW Group's 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine delivering 110kW of power at 6000rpm and 250Nm of torque at 1500-3500rpm.
The Kamiq is front-wheel drive only and the Ambition is available with a six-speed manual gearbox and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission offered as standard on all other grades.
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.
According to Skoda, the official combined fuel-use figure for the automatic Kamiq is 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres. The manual is more frugal at 4.9L.
After a week of mixed but mostly urban driving, we recorded 8.5L/100km in the Ambition. That's quite a difference from the official figure.
In terms of CO2 emissions, the figure is 128g/km.
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.
Prior to getting behind the wheel of the Kamiq Ambition, I was impressed by the former base Kamiq with the 1.0-litre engine, which I sampled shortly after it launched.
Now having driven the 1.5-litre version, I'm even more enamoured with the Kamiq.
It is quick off the mark, with the responsive 110kW engine providing a lot of urge. Previous-generation VW Group models with the brand's dual-clutch transmission (they call it a DSG) have a tendency to lag on take-off - a combination of the jolty transmission and the turbocharger.
These days the lag is much more subtle and doesn't impact the responsiveness, certainly when it comes to the Kamiq. Even the idle-stop function lacks the delay found in older VW Group product.
There is a bit of low-speed jerkiness caused by the transmission, but it's not a deal-breaker.
The Kamiq is a star performer among its rivals when it comes to dynamics. as well as super-sharp steering - typical of Skoda and VW models - it impresses when cornering, planting itself thanks to a balanced chassis, well-calibrated traction control and good tyres.
Road manners on loose surfaces are also hard to fault, and the Kamiq's cabin is relatively well insulated from outside noise.
The Kamiq's ride is mostly settled, particularly on urban streets, but the low-profile tyres and slightly firm suspension tune mean you will feel potholes and speed bumps. But again, not to the point of being a deal-breaker.
The ES has a basic safety package and it’s not until you’re in the higher grades that you enjoy items like rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, or lane keeping assist.
It’s also missing a big-ticket item for me and that’s autonomous emergency braking.
The following safety features come as standard at this grade level, LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, seat belt reminders, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, dusk-sensing headlights and cruise control.
Models made after January 2023 are currently unrated by ANCAP but the previous ASX achieved a maximum five-star assessment back in 2014.
I’m not sure how relevant that is because it's unlikely this car would fare well with its current list of items against the updated ANCAP testing criteria.
It does have seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag but its rivals tend to have a few more safety features that come standard. The most similar rival would be the Suzuki Vitara S model.
If you need to fit a child seat or two (definitely not three), there are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers across the rear row.
The Kamiq is offered with a solid range of safety gear as standard.
Features like front and rear autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, multi-collision braking, a rain braking feature, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, automatic flashing brake lights in the case of an emergency, adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitor, driver attention alert, lane assist and more.
Blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert are usually standard on the Monte Carlo Signature, but Skoda says these two features are not currently available as they are impacted by the global semiconductor shortage. These two items are not offered at all on the Ambition grade.
The Kamiq has a five-star ANCAP rating that was awarded in 2019. It has seven airbags but does not include a front centre airbag that is designed to reduce the risk of injury during a side impact.
On the road, the adaptive cruise control is a bit slow to respond when you pull out to overtake on a freeway, for example.
The lane keeping aid functions well for the most part but can sometimes tug on the wheel.
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.
Skoda offers a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for the Kamiq.
The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.
The Czech brand offers customers two service packs for the Kamiq Ambition, including a five-year/75,000km term for $1500, or a seven-year/105,000km for $2100.