Mitsubishi ASX PHEV, a plug-in hybrid SUV that convinces with its efficiency and balance

It may not attract attention at first glance, or it reminds us too much of another “old” acquaintance: the Renault Captur, the model on which it is based. However, the new Mitsubishi ASX is one of those cars that gains favor with the user as it reveals its qualities, especially in the case of the plug-in hybrid under review.

The driving experience behind the wheel of this vehicle improves as the days and hours behind the wheel go by. With him, the feeling of “connection” offered by other cars is not immediate, but rather a gradual conquest based on the coherence of his proposal. It convinces more as the kilometers go by.

During the test week, and after traveling more than 1,000 km in mainly urban and semi-urban journeys, on several daily journeys of 20 or 30 km on average each, in addition to some weekend outings of several hundred km, mainly by motorway, the conclusions are clear: “friendly coexistence” with a PHEV (less conditioning and demanding than in a 100% electric vehicle) is the best transition towards total electrification.

Moreover, it could be said that it is an almost necessary and essential intermediate step to become familiar with a driving style -or, rather, with a mobility approach- that differs significantly from what we are used to. It is not just a question of having instant power, nor of a high autonomy with 0 emissions, nor of driving in complete silence. Instead, it does offer some of the advantages of electric mobility with almost none (or very few) of the drawbacks traditionally associated with full electric cars.

Efficiency management is a factor that determines how we drive in a plug-in hybrid. Without going to the extreme of the “obsession” that is generated in a pure electric car with respect to its unpredictable energy consumption, and the inevitable “anxiety for autonomy”, in a PHEV the savings (both in consumption and in polluting gases) are enjoyed in another way. way, without limitations.

With a fairly reduced range of emission-free circulation, 49 km on the record but about 40 reales in practice, the challenge begins from the moment you start the march, it is almost innate to try to maximize your CO2-free mileage in pure EV mode. Thus, the natural thing is to start gently to prevent the heat engine from starting up, accelerate gradually, seek maximum mechanical retention (with gearbox B mode) to regenerate as much as possible, etc.

In short, small gestures towards more intelligent and sustainable driving but without assuming the great change in mentality that an electric vehicle requires. With the ASX PHEV it is not necessary to plan the route, nor depend on the charging infrastructure at the destination, nor even connect it daily to the network… In our case (without access to a socket in the private car park), the vehicle was connected on two occasions to a conventional domestic outlet, managing to recover 100% of the charge in just about 4 hours, and even less.

With this, those 40 km, approximately, of freedom of movement are recovered in non-polluting mode, which in the end end up being more due to the great regenerative capacity demonstrated by the Japanese SUV (of Spanish manufacture, by the way; it is assembled in the Renault plant in Valladolid).

Thanks to the aforementioned good management of electricity and a naturally more leisurely driving style, which encourages less impulse and more reason when exercising your right foot, our test unit certified an average consumption of 3.3 liters at 100 km/h.

And in the days in which we circulated with a depleted battery using mostly the thermal unit, its record was contained more than expected, increasing the total figure to 3.6 liters, which is equivalent to about 7.3 kWh/100. With all this, the Mitsubishi PHEV shows that it is currently a very convenient alternative for a large majority of users.

Among the details to improve -which are just that, details; They are not inconvenient at any time – we could mention the absence of paddles on the steering wheel to be able to better manage retention and regeneration capacity in a faster and more intuitive way when driving on the road. Sometimes, when reaching a curve at a certain speed, it would be optimal to be able to activate a cam to contribute to the reduction of inertia by applying the motor brake instead of just the mechanical brake, with the consequent energy saving and reducing the wear of consumables.

It should be said that in these driving circumstances, on a twisted road, its weight -close to 1,700 kg in running order- is quite evident, which together with its SUV-type configuration (height of 1.6 meters) makes its stability and poise not exactly the best of this vehicle.

It is also missing that the indicator letters of the gear lever (P, R, N, D, B) are backlit, because when maneuvering at night, its position is not well appreciated. In the same way, the controls of the audio system are found in a lower satellite lever behind the steering wheel (in the more traditional Renault style) that is neither very practical nor very intuitive to use, as well as somewhat outdated in sight due to its shapes. . On a steering wheel with so many buttons and functions, it would seem logical to move those controls to the free slots.

Finally, another aspect related to the handling of the controls and commands that is not very consistent is the duplication of certain functions, which can be done through the touch screen or through physical buttons, with which some adjustments are repetitive. It would seem more logical that these modifications (driving modes, etc.) were executed in one way or another, but always the same.

And among the elements that can be improved that can condition or determine the viability of this model for many users is a clearly small trunk for the needs of use that SUVs in the B segment must cover. Its 375-liter capacity in the maximum position (261 liters when the seats are further back) are somewhat fair and insufficient for certain needs.

With the seats folded down, the figure reaches 1,114 liters, however, the presence of the false bottom, the charging cables and the additional battery itself significantly limit its versatility when undertaking a trip with all the passengers and their corresponding luggage. . Other than that, it performs outstandingly.