Mitsubishi ASX tops class in fuel efficiency rally
18 October 2010
The new Mitsubishi ASX Diesel Sport is the most fuel-efficient Small Lifestyle Vehicle in New Zealand, winning the class in the AA Energywise Rally.
"The excellent result proves that diesel technology is really coming into its own," said driver and Mitsubishi Motors technical services manager Lloyd Robinson. "The ASX engine features world-first variable valve timing in a diesel passenger car; the result of a collaborative focus to extract maximum potential from the fuel.
"There is a huge amount of development going into diesel engines," said Mr Robinson. "Mitsubishi Motors and sister company Mitsubishi Heavy Industry have been developing this engine for some time and they've done an exceptional job. It is very fuel efficient with low carbon emissions and, at the same time, strong and powerful - consumers no longer have to compromise between efficiency and power."
The rally took competitors from Auckland to Wellington and back over four days, covering 1,780 km over a variety of roads. The ASX Diesel Sport used slightly over a tank and a half (95 litres) of fuel at a cost, including Road User Charges, of $195.30 or 0.11 cents / km.
In winning the class, Mr Robinson bettered ASX's 5.9L/100km factory fuel use figure by 8.65% and the stated 155g of CO2 /100km by 9.42%. At the finish line he'd averaged 5.4L/100km and 140g/100km over the event.
The ASX was revealed to the New Zealand market in August and has enjoyed buoyant sales, capturing the imaginations of consumers in a range of segments. Mitsubishi's head of sales and marketing strategy Daniel Cook says ASX has appealed to lifestyle-focused customers.
"ASX complements many New Zealand lifestyles perfectly," said Mr Cook. "It's highly fuel efficient without compromising driving enjoyment and the slightly raised seat configuration, together with a good dose of off-road capability, delivers versatility to meet many needs.
"To-date, in a difficult market, it has been very well received and the Energywise Rally result reinforces the exceptional value ASX delivers."
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) has placed well in Wheels Magazines Gold Star Cars awards 2010 seeing the ASX and Pajero receive first place and Lancer VR Sportback and Lancer VRX receive second place in selected categories.
The Wheels Magazine judges evaluated each vehicle against a range of criteria including warranty, service interval, fuel economy, service prices, purchase price, retained value, safety, driving experience, insurance and cross-class comparison.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) Vice President of Brand and Marketing, Paul Unerkov, was pleased with the success of our products in the Wheels Magazine awards.
“It gives me a great sense of pride to see our newest compact SUV achieve first place in the Gold Star Cars awards and of course our sturdy Pajero, recognised for its alluring rugged charm,” said Mr Unerkov.
Mitsubishi’s ASX AWD turbo-diesel received first in the Compact SUVs category ahead of the Hyundai iX35 and the BMW X1 for its fuel efficiency, sharp pricing and attractive styling. An overall score of 81.87 resulted from the ASX’s warranty cover and five-star safety rating as well as its cheap fuel bill of as low as $1034 per annum and 5.9 litre per 100km economy figure.
The Pajero GLS 3.2 CDi also topped its class with first place in the 4WD segment ahead of the Toyota Prado and Land Rover Discovery. Recognised for its reasonable $62K purchase price, 9.2 litre per 100km turbo-diesel thrift and five-year warranty, the perennial off-road workhorse was a well deserved winner.
‘Small under $26k’ and ‘Sedan/hatch $26-31k’ saw Lancer take home second place in both categories. The VR Sportback for the former, scoring maximum points for active and passive safety equipment and the VRX for the latter offering confidence to buyers and representing low-maintenance motoring.
