Street smart and versatile, the ASX Urban SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) has been a consistent money maker for Mitsubishi over the past two years.

A combination of sharp pricing and a good spread of models with the choice of two and four wheel drive options, has helped the five-door ASX slowly ease its way closer to the top of the shopping lists of both fleet and private buyers. This model has helped position Mitsubishi as one of the bigger, rather than bit part player in the urban SUV league in tandem with the larger Outlander. The wraps come off on an all new Outlander, sometime during the first quarter of next year.

When the ASX was launched in late 2010 Mitsubishi predicted with almost Mentalist like accuracy, that it would successfully prise buyers out of their hatches and sedans. It may not the most handsome looking model on the urban SUV block, but it’s an attractive and practical all-rounder, offering above average passenger space for this class of vehicle. Wide opening doors for easy access that allow you to step effortlessly into the cabin make it a bit of a hit with older buyers and those who are not so agile.

A five model menu with prices ranging from $36,290 for the entry level LS and climbing to a smidgen under $46,990 for the range topping Sport diesel, the solitary manual gearbox offering, there is a model for all but the hard or down right impossible to please. Recently I had a chance to get reacquainted with the ASX, clocking up some drive time in a 2WD drive version of the mid range Sport that will cost you around $38,000.

Power and just enough to do the job with not a lot in reserve, sums up the 112kw 2.0 litre motor plucked from the Lancer sedan and hatch line up. The engine struggles a bit with the task of punting around the bigger and heavier ASX. A simple and potentially quick fix would be to borrow the more muscular 126kw 2.4 litre motor used in the Outlander 4WD.

While hauling around these extra kilos weighs heavy at times on the shoulders of the 2.0 litre engine it still does the basics well. Performance hovers in that boringly adequate zone that it could escape from, with a bit of extra urgency and spark. On hilly terrain, which there is little shortage of on our roads, the engines limited thrust is exposed and progress can, depending on the load you have on board, be fairly sedate. On paper the 200nm of torque looks promising without really delivering the in-gear acceleration or crisp throttle response you drivers might anticipate. The problem is the engine cannot grab that healthy wedge of torque pie, until it rattled up a busy 4,200rpm. If this was served around 1,000rpm sooner the motor would be a much sharper performance tool instead of a rather blunt instrument.

I am not a CVT automatic cheer leader and at times struggle to see the merits of this sort of transmission in all but mini sized vehicles, where they seem to be much more effective. Although I have to admit, this type of gearbox has improved a lot in recent years and it is easy to see how their generally smooth step-less gear changes would appeal to some. Having said that, this CVT pirated from the same parts bin as the unit used in the Lancer, was hard to fault, however there was one downer. On steeper hill climbs it the transmission tended to drone, and got increasingly louder when the motor was asked to exert a bit more energy.

Passenger space is generous for both front and back seat occupants. The rear cargo compartment is spoilt by a raised floor that reduces load height, so you cannot make the most of this other wise generously proportioned luggage cavity. The cabin is modern and inviting, but it could be even more so, if it wasn’t for a dour charcoal dominated colour swatch. Some more vibrant tones to bring a bit more life and vitality to the cabin ambience would make a huge difference. The ASX Sport is nicely, rather than extravagantly equipped, as expected for a model that dips comfortably under the 40 grand price threshold. One of the most appealing features is a 10 year/160,000km power train warranty and a 5 year/130,000km new vehicle warranty. That to me should be more than enough warranty to make the worst worriers relax. It may even transform them into “Once were worriers” in a motoring sense.

Tried and trusted independent suspension does not offer a lot of handling fireworks and is more of a reassuring road holding type than dynamic corner carver. On smooth sealed surfaces, the tyres could at times yelp and yap like basket full of puppies. Over coarse chipped roads the test vehicle suffered a bit of tyre roar and on longer trips, it was at times, a rather tiring travel companion. It could be silenced to some extent by cranking the sound system up a few extra notches. This worked well when there was know one else in the vehicle to debate your impeccable taste in music.

What’s the verdict? Quirky looking, affordable and practical, the ASX lacks the quality, performance and charisma to be a major force in the compact urban SUV market.