Mitsubishi ASX vs Volkswagen T-Cross

What's the difference?

There is no question the new ASX is a much better car to drive than the model it replaces. This one is actually fun behind the wheel. The tech represents a massive upgrade, so too does the interior design and practicality. The fact is, it’s a much more expensive car than the old ASX. It is a European built and designed small SUV with loads more tech and features so when you consider that, the pricing makes more sense.

Regardless of the previous model, this new ASX impresses. It’s not perfect - the LS is missing too many items, no hybrid, slightly firm ride - but it’s now a genuine rival for higher quality rivals in the small SUV segment. If the ASX is in your price bracket, it might be time to add it to the consideration list.

There are so many new little SUVs out there and it might be easy to think they’re all the same - a tiny cheap SUV is just a tiny cheap SUV. But I’m convinced the Volkswagen T-Cross isn’t like the others.

Yes, it’s tiny and relatively cheap, but it can do more than most of the others from the storage and space it offers to the value-for-money and its level of refinement. Then there’s the way it drives - which can’t in my books be matched by any of its rivals.  

The sweet spot in the range is the entry grade Life. At $35K drive-away the value is best and with no difference in engines between the grades there are no huge reasons to step up higher in the range unless you have the money.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The look of the new ASX is not a huge surprise given it’s based on the second-generation Renault Captur that launched in 2021. Actually the ASX we get is the mid-life facelift for the ASX/Captur twins in Europe, so the design has been refreshed.

At 4238mm long, 1797mm wide, 1585mm tall and with a 2639mm wheelbase, the new ASX is 127mm shorter, 13mm narrower, and 55mm lower than the original, but the wheelbase is only 31mm shorter.

It has a round almost bubble like quality to the exterior design, and not in a bad way. The redesigned front end has Mitsubishi flavour thanks to the ‘Dynamic Shield’ front-end signature, while the sleek headlights and black and chrome grille give off an almost menacing look.

C-shaped tail-lights at the rear flank a massive ‘Mitsubishi’ badge and the lower cladding ensure there’s no doubt this is an SUV.

It’s a handsome car and should get some attention on the road.

Inside, it’s not the last word on interior design, but it’s well laid out and functional. It’s definitely another massive leap over the old model.

At the launch there were no LS grades to drive, but the Aspire comes with cool grey cloth trim and roofliner that adds a nice contrast to the darker plastics and finishes. It’s more vibrant than the top-spec Exceed which has an all-black interior with leather-appointed seats.

The top two grades feature a floating console where the gear shifter is housed (a standard shifter in LS, and notch-like ‘eShifter’ in Aspire and Exceed), while the big multimedia screen dominates the dash.

The T-Cross is Volkswagen’s smallest SUV at 4.1m long and even though it’s closely related to the little Polo hatchback it looks more like a mini version of the Tiguan.  

It might be tiny and relatively affordable but it has Volkswagen’s premium looks and sharp styling, with creases in the panels so crisp it looks like somebody just ironed it.

This update has brought new front and rear bumper designs, and new styling to the LED running lights and tail-lights. That’s typically how car companies do exterior design updates, inside the styling changes are pretty minimal, too.

There’s new dashboard design and new media screen, but again the design and quality feels refined and high quality, which I can't say goes for a lot of this car's rivals.

The entry-grade Life misses out on the cross design tail-lights of the Style and R-Line, and gets hubcaps rather than alloy wheels like the other two grades.

This is an area the ASX excels in.

Up front there are loads of storage options. Multiple nooks for mobile phones, keys and other items, and the Aspire and Exceed get a wireless charging pad and extra storage under the shifter.

The central bin isn’t massive but doesn’t need to be with all the other cubbies, and there is ample room for large and tall bottles in the door bins.

A pair of USB-C ports and a 12V port up front handle electronics.

Thankfully there are physical controls for climate control at the base of the multimedia screen. The other functions housed in the screen like vehicle information and connectivity options are logically laid out and the system is not overly complicated.

Opting for the Aspire or Exceed means you get the brilliant Google Built-in, which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s essentially the Google operating system but for your multimedia screen so you have in-built Google Maps, Play and Assistant. Log in to your Google account and all your favourite places show up on Maps, and you can also log into Spotify and the like. It's a great set-up.

The seats are supportive and well bolstered. Much nicer than the old ASX’s overly cushioned seats.

The second row has more space than you’d expect looking at the car. It’s not cavernous by any stretch, but clever touches like scalloped out front seatbacks and roofliner ensure decent leg, toe and headroom, even with the sunroof in the Exceed. However, three adults in the rear isn’t super comfortable - we tried. Kids should be fine.

Amenities include more USB-C ports, rear air vents (very rare in this category), storage for small bottles in the door, phone holders in the door arm rests, dual map pockets, but no central armrest, which is no great loss.

That rear pew is comfy and more supportive than the old ASX. And it has a neat party trick. You can slide the entire row (via the base) forwards by up to 16cm, making for more cargo space in the boot. It also folds 60/40 split and when the boot floor is in its highest setting the seats fold flat, aiding loading.

Yet another clever feature is the split level boot. It features under-floor storage that adds a handy 183 litres to the cargo capacity.

With all seats in place Mitsubishi says the cargo space is 484 litres, which is 23 per cent more than the old model. If you slide the rear seat forward as far as it goes that increases that figure to 616L. And if the second row is folded flat the capacity is 1596L.

Interestingly, despite having space for one under the bottom boot floor, a spare wheel (even a temporary one) is not a standard feature. Instead the ASX comes with a tyre repair kit and offers a temporary spare wheel as part of its accessories offering for $750. If you’ve got the space for a spare wheel, why not make it standard? Especially when Mitsubishi is a popular brand in regional and rural areas.

You really should take a look at my video to get an idea of how good space and storage is in the T-Cross. I’m tall at 189cm but I can drive with plenty of elbow room and legroom. The front seats also have really long bases which offer great under-thigh support, too.

Legroom in the back is great for the class and I can sit behind my driving position without my knees touching the seatback, while headroom is excellent, too. The second row also slides on rails to increase the boot side which is enormous for the class at 455L.

The second row doors also have large apertures making entry and exit easier.

Cabin storage is great with giant door pockets in the front and back, a wireless phone charger with four USB-C ports (two in the front and two in the second row).

There are three grades in the T-Cross line up, the entry level Life which lists for $33,990, the Style for $37,490 and at the top of the range is the R-Line for $40,990.

At the time of the launch of this updated T-Cross, Volkswagen was doing drive-away pricing of $34,990 for the Life, $39,990 for the Style and $43,990 for the R-Line.

Compared to rivals like the Mazda CX-3 and Toyota Yaris Cross, a drive-away price of $35K for the Life is excellent and $40K for the Style is also a good deal, especially when you look at the healthy standard features list.  

Coming standard on the Life are LED headlights, black roof rails and power folding mirrors, there’s a leather steering wheel, a digital driver display (which is new, too), there’s an 8.0-inch media screen, wireless phone charging, air con, digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Stepping up into the Style grade adds 17-inch alloys wheels, matrix LED headlights - those are new - chrome-look roof rails, an LED grille strip, proximity unlocking, dual-zone climate control, sat nav, and a new, larger digital driver display. The Style also gets the fancy 'cross' LED tail-lights like the R-Line grade above it.

The R-line is a new model sitting at the top of the line-up and it comes with sporty R-Line exterior styling plus 18-inch alloy wheels and dark tinted rear windows. Inside there’s R-line interior styling, 'Drive Modes' and a Beats sound system.

For now, all grades of the new ASX use the same 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine offering up 113kW of power and 270Nm of torque. That’s up on the old 2.0-litre naturally aspirated unit’s 110kW/197Nm.

This is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels only, so there’s no all-wheel-drive version.

Mitsubishi is looking into the mild hybrid and full hybrid versions that are offered in Europe but not confirmation on those as yet.

The T-Cross has a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine which sounds tiny and it is, but it's turbo-charged and the 85kW/200Nm it produces is plenty of grunt to move this little SUV which at just under 1.3 tonnes is relatively light. 

All grades in the T-Cross line-up have this same engine and there’s no high-performance variant, although the R-Line has selectable drive modes. Every T-Cross is front-wheel drive with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. 

This three-cylinder is a mighty little beastie with a growly tone to it. There is some turbo lag during stop-start city driving, but it’s so eager to play that if it was a dog it’d be a Jack Russell with every intention to chase anything it sees but no idea how small it is.

The new ASX consumes 6.4 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle and emits 142 grams per kilometre of CO2.

That’s a decent figure for sure, but not quite as frugal as the 1.3-litre Nissan Qashqai, which manages 5.8-6.1L/100km.

The ASX drinks 91 RON fuel and has a 48-litre tank which makes for a theoretical driving range of about 750km.

Smaller engines use less fuel than larger ones and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder in the T-Cross is little and Volkswagen says over a combination of open and urban roads it uses 5.6L/100km.

That’s fuel efficient but these days larger SUVs with hybrid systems are achieving the same low consumption. Toyota’s Yaris Cross is available with a hybrid system and will use about 3.8L/100km.

Volkswagen doesn’t have a hybrid version of the T-Cross, but it should, especially given these little cars will spend more time in urban environments where fuel consumption will generally be higher.

That said, most tiny SUVs don’t have hybrid systems so that makes the Yaris Cross exceptional while the T-Cross is about average.

Look, it’s fair to say the original ASX was not a driver’s car. Reliable? Yes. Spacious? Absolutely. Great value? You bet. But fun to drive? Not so much.

So it’s good news then that the new-gen ASX is much more engaging to drive. I quite enjoyed the current-gen Renault Captur the last time I drove it, and the underpinnings of the ASX are the facelifted version of that Captur.

The 1.3-litre turbo-petrol unit might not be ultra quick off the mark, but it is sprightly and really comes alive when you’re at speed. It also has a decent engine note.

I've recently driven another Renault model with basically the same powertrain but it suffered from dreadful lag - a combination of a turbocharger and a dual-clutch transmission.

I had expected the same of the ASX, but there’s little lag to speak of. And the transmission is much smoother in this application. It doesn’t hold gears or do anything DCTs are known for, which is a lovely surprise.

Steering is sharp enough and the feel can be adjusted in the settings. Aspire and Exceed grades come with Comfort, Sport and Perso mode, which is for personalisation.

Ride quality is fine on smooth roads but big pot holes and other bumps are felt in the cabin. It is a European car, so no surprise that it’s been tuned for a more European experience. It’s not so firm it’ll dampen the drive experience, but it could be a touch more supple.

On that, the ASX has not undergone a local ride and handling tuning program like the one its larger Outlander stablemate has benefited from.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in the ASX - you can. It handles high-speed bends on country roads surprisingly well, with more grip than you’d expect. There’s a little body roll but nothing dramatic.

More time behind the wheel is needed, but the tight chassis means the ASX likes a corner.

The cabin has better insulation than the outgoing model but it’s still not the most hushed small SUV money can buy. But it’s another element that’s far from a dealbreaker.

Quite possibly the best little SUV to drive for this price and size, the only drawback is that there’s a touch of lag in the time it takes the power to arrive at low speeds in stop-start traffic, but that can be remedied by putting the transmission in 'Sport' mode.

The steering is light and accurate, the visibility is excellent thanks to the big windows and raised ride height, the pedal feel under your feet is great and the brakes are responsive.

The car feels stable, planted and secure whether it's on a motorway, or a winding country road, while the little 1.0-litre engine is a champion that keeps punching with a throaty growl that matches its enthusiasm.

The seven-speed transmission is superb and changes gears fast, while the paddle shifter lets you take control to keep the revs high.

These little SUVs aren't sports cars but some are so underwhelming to drive it feels like performance was never thought about while developing the vehicle.

But the T-Cross made me grin until my face hurt on the steep winding hairpin filled roads we tested it on at its launch. 

The T-Cross was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019. What is truly great is that on every grade you’ve got AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, manoeuvre braking, plus front and rear and parking sensors. 

For child seats there are three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX points in the second row.

A space saver spare wheel can be found under the boot floor.

Mitsubishi's standard warranty is five years or 100,000km, but if you service your car exclusively at a Mitsubishi dealer, it extends to an impressive 10 years or 200,000km.

You’ll also get 10 years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing. The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000km.

Service pricing starts from $349, but bigger services every four years or 60,000km will cost circa-$1000. The average price of a service across the 10 years is $568, or the total overall is $5686.

Mitsubishi has an extensive network of 185 dealers across Australia and many in regional areas. So service coverage is among the best in the country.

The T-Cross is covered by Volkswagen’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or yearly and while there’s no capped price servicing you can buy a five-year plan for $2800, which equates to $560 per workshop visit.