Recently Mitsubishi placed the ASX under the knife and made its best seller even better.

From the outside the refreshed model now boasts new black roof rails, chrome highlights and LED daytime running lights with a redesigned front fog lamp, while the new 17-inch alloy wheels, depending on the spec level, give the car a robust and modern stance.

Admittedly the upgrades are minor, but it goes a long way adding new appeal to an already solid, reliable and practical car.

I managed to spend a solid day behind the steering wheel of the ASX and while the drive quality hasn’t changed much, Mitsubishi has assured us that the newly updated CVT gearbox in the automatic model sees a massive improvement over the outgoing generation.

Continuing to do duty in the car is the trusted 2-litre petrol engine with 110kW and 197Nm, while a choice of five-speed manual (a sixth gear, for the long open roads would’ve been a nice touch) or a six-speed Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is available.

All ASX derivatives maintain high levels of standard specification, enhanced for 2015, and all models come standard with a three-year/100 000km warranty and a five-year/ 90 000km service plan, linked to service intervals of 15 000km.

Pricing: