Swelling the burgeoning ranks of compact crossovers still further, Mitsubishi's star at the Geneva Motor Show is the all-new ASX. It might be an uninspired name, but this is one badass-looking car.

In a staring contest, the ASX surely is going to put the frighteners on rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan. The Mitsubishi Evo-inspired looks lend this new car a real sense of menace, something you won't get from any other vehicle in the sector.

Get past the front end and things turn into a more predictable crossover, so we're glad we also have an all-new engine to talk about. This 1.8-liter direct-injection turbodiesel has been developed in-house and is the first time that variable valve timing has been introduced in a diesel car. The new engine produces 150 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, and emits 145g/km of CO2. (No diesel offering is expected for the U.S. market at this time.)

The engine has been designed to suit European tastes as much as possible, and debuts in the ASX with Automatic Stop & Go and a 6-speed manual transmission. There will also be a cheaper 135 g/km 1.6 gas-powered engine that outputs 117 horsepower.

Mitsubishi's new crossover seats five and is the European version of the Japanese domestic-market RVR, which went on sale in February.