Rent Mitsubishi ASX 2024 in Dubai

The Mitsubishi ASX 2024 is the safe, no-surprises pick in Dubai's compact SUV class, and that is exactly why it rents well. There is no turbo to nurse and no hybrid system to learn, just a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine and a CVT that gets on with the job. We bring it to your door within one to two hours of booking, so you skip the counter entirely. This is not the SUV that turns heads on Jumeirah Beach Road, and it does not try to be. This page answers one question: is a straightforward, slightly old-school compact SUV enough for your week here, or should you look elsewhere in the class?

What's under the bonnet, and how it drives

Mitsubishi builds the ASX around a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four making 150 hp and 197 Nm, sent through a CVT automatic to the front wheels. A higher grade adds all-wheel drive, though the version we hand over is front-wheel drive, which covers what a Dubai rental actually needs. There is no turbo lag to manage and no hybrid battery to think about, just a conventional engine and gearbox Mitsubishi has run in this shape for years. That maturity shows in how it drives. It is unhurried off the line, settled once it is up to speed, and easy to place in traffic because nothing about it surprises you.

Do not expect quick. The 2.0 takes its time reaching highway speed, and merging onto Sheikh Zayed Road with a full car means planning the gap rather than forcing it. Once you are cruising, it holds a steady 120 without strain, and the CVT stays quiet unless you ask for a hard overtake, at which point it drones the way most CVTs do under load. For daily errands, school runs and steady highway stretches, this is exactly enough car. If you want punch, look elsewhere in the class.

Space, boot and the daily use

At 4.355 metres long, the ASX sits at the smaller end of the compact SUV class, which helps in tight tower bays and mall multi-storeys that make a bigger SUV work for its space. Ground clearance of about 195 mm clears speed bumps and steep ramps cleanly. This is still a road car on road tyres, so treat it as a tarmac SUV, not something to point at a Hatta track.

Boot space is 358 litres, enough for one large suitcase and a couple of soft bags side by side, or a week's shopping without folding anything down. Two large hard-shell cases for an airport run need the rear seats folded, or one case in the boot and one on the back seat. Up front, two adults get a comfortable, slightly raised driving position. The back seat suits two adults on a normal trip, or two children with a booster between them. Put a third adult back there and it is fine for a short hop, not for a long one.

Running cost, heat and the cabin

Fuel economy sits around 8 L/100km combined, closer to 9 in stop-start city driving and closer to 7 once you are holding a steady highway speed. The 63-litre tank turns that into roughly 550 to 600 km between fills on a normal week of city driving with the odd longer run, which for most renters means one stop at the pump.

Mileage works differently on this car than on most of our fleet. Instead of a daily cap, you get 5,000 km across the whole rental, and every kilometre past that costs AED 0.5. For a week or two of city driving, that allowance is generous and you are unlikely to touch it. It only gets tight if you are stacking several long trips out of town inside the same rental. Salik tolls and any RTA fines during the rental fall to you as the renter, the same as with every car here, and child seats are required for under-fours. Minimum age to rent is 25, higher than some cars in the class, so it is worth checking before you book if you are close to that line.

The cabin is compact enough that the AC gets ahead of the July heat fairly fast once you are moving, though the first minute or two after climbing back into a car that has been sitting at 45 degrees is genuinely uncomfortable, the same as almost anything this size. Crack a window for a moment before you get in if you can, and it settles quickly once the vents are working properly.

Who should rent it, and who should size up or down

Rent the ASX if you are a couple or a small family after a compact SUV that handles the ordinary Dubai week without complication: mall runs, the school route, steady highway cruising, and a boot that manages groceries plus a case or two. Its plainness is the point. There is nothing unusual under the bonnet to worry about, and that predictability is worth something on a rental car.

Size up if you are regularly four adults with full luggage or you want more shove for highway overtaking. The Outlander or another mid-size SUV carries that load with less strain. Size down if it is just you doing light errands around town. A compact hatch or economy car does that job for less rental and less fuel, and you will not miss the ASX's extra height. For everyone in between, a couple or a small family who wants SUV space without SUV drama, the ASX is a sensible, slightly unglamorous choice that does exactly what it promises.