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The first locally-assembled Mitsubishi ASX rolled off the line at Tan Chong’s Segambut plant in Kuala Lumpur this morning, flagged off by Morikazu Chokki, senior executive officer at MMC, Kozo Shiraji of Mitsubishi Corporation, Datuk Rosie Tan, deputy MD of TCMA and Tetsuya Oda, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.

The 2014 ASX compact SUV, the first modern Mitsubishi to be made in Malaysia, is contract assembled at at the Segambut factory of Tan Chong Motor Assemblies (TCMA), which besides Nissan vehicles, also puts together the Subaru XV for local and ASEAN consumption.

The initial production volume for the CKD ASX is 5,000 units per year, and it is purely for the Malaysian market with no exports planned at the moment. The localisation target is 50% in 18 months time.

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The move to assemble vehicles in Malaysia is in line with MMC’s major strategic pillar to concentrate business resources on emerging markets. ASEAN and Malaysia is a vital component in MMC’s “New Stage 2016” business plan.

“Today is a milestone moment for Mitsubishi in Malaysia. MMM was set up in 2005, and we have grown from strength to strength through the years with more than 70,000 Mitsubishi cars on the road. But today is a special moment for us as we’re witnessing the first ‘birth’ of a Mitsubishi in Malaysia,” said a beaming Oda.

“All cars produced by Mitsubishi Motors worldwide are governed by the same high standards that ensure consistent quality. The ASX that is locally assembled in Malaysia will have the same quality level with the ASX made in Japan,” the MMM boss assured, adding that MMC personnel from Japan have been overseeing the production line to watch over quality control and processes.

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The facelifted CKD ASX is powered by a 2.0 litre four-cylinder with 150 PS and 197 Nm of torque. The MIVEC engine is paired to an INVECS-III CVT gearbox with Sports Mode (six virtual ratios), and one can choose between 2WD and 4WD variants, the latter with the ability to lock drive at 50:50 for both axles. The default mode is FWD, and the AWC button to change modes is next to the handbrake.

The ASX has been available here as a CBU import from Japan since late 2010, but only in front-wheel-drive form – the 4WD variant is new to our market.

Safety wise, the ASX comes with three airbags (dual front + driver’s knee), ABS and EBD across the range, with the 4WD variant adding on Traction Control, Active Stability Control (ASC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA).

Both CKD variants are decently equipped, with automatic lights and wipers, leather seats and steering, GPS navigation, Bluetooth, front/rear parking sensors with reverse camera, automatic air con and a high contrast instrument panel all standard.

mitsubishi asx glass roof

Exclusive equipment for the 4WD include a panoramic glass roof, magnesium steering paddle shifters, cruise control, keyless entry with push start button and solar/security window tint. Visually, the 4WD wears 17-inch alloys (16-inch for the 2WD) and some chrome trim on the front and sides.

Open for booking since early this month, the 2WD is priced at RM114,744 (CBU car was RM139,982) while the 4WD is priced at RM128,880, on-the-road excluding insurance. Three accessory packages are available – the RM4,599 Aero Package, RM1,799 Chrome Package and RM899 Interior Package. Items are listed in the brochure scan below.

Body colour choices are Black Mica, Titanium Grey, Cool Silver and Solid White. The ASX comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty plus two years of free maintenance.

The pre-facelift CBU Mitsubishi ASX 2WD was part of our five-car SUV shootout, which you can read here.