Mitsubishi ASX GSR 2024 Review

There’s no shortage of competition in the compact SUV segment and, while the Mitsubishi ASX has traditionally been all about value, upgrades over the years have resulted in price hikes.

As such, the 2024 Mitsubishi ASX is not as budget-friendly as it once was, particularly at the pointy end of the line-up. The GSR sits just below the flagship Exceed, making it the second most expensive ASX variant you can buy in Australia today.

Priced from $32,740 before on-road costs, our GSR test car is finished in metallic Sunshine Orange, adding another $740 to the invoice.

If your budget doesn’t stretch that far, the good news is you can still get into an entry-level ASX GS (manual) for as little as $24,490 (plus ORCs), but you’ll forgo many of the tech and creature comforts found here.

The 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR looks tough, thanks to a host of blacked-out exterior features. Standard kit includes gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels, along with a black grille, roof rails, door mirrors and rear spoiler.

LED headlights and daytime running lights (DRLs) come standard, as does keyless entry with push-button start and tinted windows, but climate control is single-zone only.

Inside, you get a mix of microsuede and leather-appointed upholstery, black headlining and aluminium pedal covers. A black leather-appointed steering wheel comes complete with red stitching, carried over to the gear selector and parking brake.

Mitsubishi covers all models with a five-year/100,000km warranty, extending to 10 years (and 200,000km) if the vehicle is serviced exclusively through the brand’s franchised dealer network.

Services are due every 12 months or 15,000km and will cost you $1945 over the first five years ($309 in the first year and $409 per year over the next four years).

There is no current ANCAP safety rating for the 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR, despite the fact Mitsubishi’s smallest SUV has been crash-tested and five-star-rated in previous years.

That’s because ANCAP has made its requirements to achieve five stars more stringent over the years, and the ASX’s last five-star rating expired in 2022.

It still comes with decent safety equipment, including seven airbags (including driver’s knee), reverse camera, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX anchorage points on each outboard rear seat.

Active safety gadgets include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, lane assist, rear cross-traffic alert, auto high-beam, brake assist and hill start assist.

Rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing headlights are also standard and, while regular cruise control features, it’s non-adaptive.

The safety systems could use some finesse. Our tester’s forward collision warning went off on three separate occasions when it detected a parked vehicle while rounding a bend or corner.

Given its age, the 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR isn’t the most tech-savvy compact SUV on the block.

The lack of a digital speedo might not be a big deal for those jumping in from an older vehicle, but those who’ve relied on the technology seen in almost all new cars these days will likely miss it.

Meanwhile, an 8.0-inch central touch-screen features across the ASX range, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, digital radio, and AM/FM radio. Navigation is reserved only for the top-spec Exceed.

The unit itself feels especially old-school compared to rivals with its basic graphics, however, it’s easy to use and simple to navigate thanks to shortcut buttons.

Likewise, the single-zone climate control is easy to use on the move and the trip computer – a small digital screen between two analogue dials – is similarly quite basic but shows everything you need it to (except for a digital speedo).

The 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR gets the larger of two front-wheel drive powertrains offered in the compact SUV range.

Whereas lower-spec models have a 2.0-litre engine, the GSR and Exceed get a bigger 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine offering 123kW of power and 222Nm of torque.

That’s a fairly conservative 13kW/25Nm increase on the smaller engine seen across the rest of ASX range, but it’s competitive nonetheless.

While the base-spec GS is still offered with a five-speed manual, the remainder of the ASX range (including the GSR) is fitted exclusively with a CVT auto.

With claimed combined fuel consumption of 7.9L/100km, the 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR isn’t all that frugal on paper.
And we weren’t able to match that figure in the real world, where a mix of highway and suburban driving over seven days saw us averaging around 8.5L/100km despite reasonably conservative driving.

In a word, simple. The 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR might be the sportiest version of the range, but you’ll be sorely disappointed if you expect it to drive like a Volkswagen T-Roc R performance SUV.

Driving dynamics aren’t the ASX’s strong point and although ride comfort is acceptable, it is by no means class-leading. Larger hits and potholes are felt quite obviously, often jolting through the cabin with a thud.

Steering feel and feedback also leaves much to be desired, with a vagueness to it the majority of the time and persistent kickback over uneven surfaces.

If you’re after a more athletic small SUV, look to rivals like the Mazda CX-30, Skoda Kamiq and Kia Seltos, but only if you’re prepared to fork out more money.

As a daily hauler, the ASX is perfectly acceptable. It’s not fast – even with the larger-capacity four-pot – but it’s also not completely sluggish. And if you can deal with the droney CVT (something you get used to the more you drive) you’ll be rewarded with fuss-free motoring.

Despite being an SUV, the front-wheel drive ASX isn’t designed to go off-road, so despite its pumped-up stance and 205mm of ground clearance, we wouldn’t recommend venturing too far off a well-beaten gravel track.

The sporty theme continues inside the cabin of the 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR, but beyond a few GSR inclusions it doesn’t stray too far from the regular ASX recipe.

Trimmed with suede and fake leather, the front seats are comfortable for short stints, although a little more padding would improve comfort on longer drives.

We also expected the front seats to have electric adjustment at this price point but it’s still a manual affair, even for the driver. No heated seats, either. You have to get the Exceed for that.

And importantly for families, those in the second row miss out on air-vents, meaning the front vents work a little harder to cool those in the rear seat.

You do get two USB ports in the rear (one USB-A and one USB-C) as well as a centre armrest with cup holders, but no additional storage in the door cards.

However, the manually-operated tailgate hides a generous 393 litres of cargo storage, under which is a space-saver spare tyre and a removable parcel shelf.

The 2024 Mitsubishi ASX GSR is a great example of simple, no-frills motoring dressed in sports attire.

It might be a pricey proposition given its age, but its solid value, reliability and long warranty (albeit with conditions) rightly remain a hit with Aussie buyers.

The GSR might not be the pick of the ASX bunch, but it does exactly what it says on the box – and for many that’ll be enough.

2023 Mitsubishi ASX GSR at a glance:
Price: $32,740 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 123kW/222Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 186g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested