Car manufacturers are loving the shift in popularity of SUVs over the last 10 years as it has brought in countless new customers who were a bit too late to the party. This is true in particular for Mitsubishi, who now have 4 separate SUVs in their model lineup, 5 if you count hybrid models separately, in fact, they’ve only got one car on sale that comes with a regular ride height!
So, which of their models is best for what?
Mitsubishi ASX
We’ll start with the smallest and work our way up. Rivalling the likes of the SEAT Arona and Citroen C3 Aircross is the Mitsubishi ASX. In a fiercely competitive segment, the ASX takes a different approach to the cute and cuddly alternatives by providing a muscular, angled and more hard-wearing alternative. The exterior is imposing and makes a real statement, particularly with it’s gaping front grille and inside there are few touch-sensitive controls, instead, there are big, responsive dials to control your valuable functions like heating. The interior is made of soft-touch and long-lasting plastics with splashings of chrome and gloss here and there.
The ASX is on sale now and starts from £19,195
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
The Eclipse Cross is the elder brother to the ASX and operates in an arguably more competitive segment. The Eclipse Cross rivals the likes of the incredibly popular Qashqai, SEAT Ateca and Renault Kadjar, but takes a more rugged approach and has more striking styling than any of those. The bottom half of the car is clearly more robust and ready to go off-road whereas the top half is more fashionable and almost Lexus-like. The split rear window is a particularly eye-catching feature. The Eclipse Cross is actually longer than its rivals and this translates to a more spacious cabin which is perfect for family buyers and the interior is probably the best interior in the whole Mitsubishi range, with lots of glass veneering and metal detailing.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is on sale now from £21,290
Mitsubishi Outlander
The Outlander goes one bigger than the Eclipse Cross and it is best served as the Outlander PHEV - Britains best selling plug-in hybrid vehicle. As far as futuristic SUVs go, this PHEV is one of the most impressive cars on the market. So impressive, in fact, Mitsubishi has sold over 100,000 of them in Europe alone, which is incredible considering Mitsubishis relatively small market share in our continent. Naturally, fuel efficiency is the best thing about the Outlander PHEV, with a claimed 139mpg possible, but the incredible practicality, the top-notch safety, the high-quality interior and the refined ride all combine to make this an excellent prospect as a family car or a company car.
Mitsubishi Shogun
Nobody really makes cars like the Shogun anymore. It’s by far the most rough-and-ready car on the market. It’s massive, heavy doors swing wide open and you’re greeted by two armchair seats and a cabin with seemingly infinite headroom. Climb inside and you’ll find big, chunky buttons that could be pressed with boxing gloves on. The steering wheel is massive and everything is made to last, this is a proper, purpose-built workhorse. The boot has a massive 663 litres of space to offer and that extends to a colossal 1.790 litres when you fold the rear seats down in the 5 seat model. The Shogun can also be purchased with 7 seats but that rear row will, of course, eat into the boot. So, it’s extremely practical, ridiculously rugged and happy to just about anywhere you’d ever want to take a car, and of course, its got 4 wheel drive and even locking differentials. Oh, and did we mention it can tow up to 3.5 tonnes? What’s not to love about this beast?
The Mitsubishi Shogun is on sale now from £33,315