What the ASX lacks is probably a turbo (keep thinking of the Airtrek).

Anyway, cars like ASX, CRV, Forester are more for urban folks who need something bigger than a regular sedan
but not as large as a normal 4x4. An occasional need to carry more stuff and the ease of loading/unloading.
The choice of petrol / diesel is dependent on what's available.

Some might argue that for the same amount of money, there are better choices but different people have different
needs. I'm sure a normal 4X4 isn't going to turn as well as a compact SUV and when you try loading / unloading
stuff, it's going to be more difficult on the taller vehicle. There are pros and cons to each design, consumers will
just make their choice based on individual needs.

If you must have turbo, why not look at the Subaru Forester.
Foresters here are watered down tho, no electric powered seats, no dual DIN display, no GPS etc.