MITSUBISHI MIRAGE
Mitsubishi’s entry level car is a simple 5-door hatchback that has been designed with developing nations in mind.
In recent years Mitsubishi has focused rather heavily on producing SUVs and developing its hybrid technology, but the company has been building small, basic hatchbacks for over 40 years. That’s exactly what the Mitsubishi Mirage is, in fact it wasn’t really even designed for the UK market, this is a car that was made to offer cheap, reliable transport to developing markets.
It’s difficult to trace the history of the Mirage as Mitsubishi has often changed its name in different nations and markets around the world, with it even being sold under other brands at some points in time. It does however go back as far as the 1970’s, when Mitsubishi produced a machine that was cheap and economical in response to the Oil Crisis. In the UK, the Mirage was named the ‘Colt’ for a little while before the latest generation of this entry level Mitsubishi was introduced in 2012 and the name was changed back to Mirage, which is the name it has always been sold under in its native market of Japan.
It only has one engine, a 1.2-litre ‘MIVEC’ 3-cylinder petrol producing around 80bhp. It isn’t powerful- 0-62mph times come in at just under 13-seconds and the quoted top speed is 112mph – but it can deliver over 50mpg in fuel efficiency, something that is valued far higher in certain parts of the world than it is here, and it’s still quite important here. A 5-speed manual gearbox is provided as standard, though a ‘CVT’ automatic is a cost option on the top-spec ‘4’ model, though this gearbox does also cost a little bit more over the manual in terms of fuel efficiency.
The Mirage ‘4’ is perhaps the best model for the UK market. It features integrated satellite navigation, in a touchscreen infotainment screen with Bluetooth and DAB digital radio along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It also features climate control, cruise control, heated front seats, Bi-Xenon front headlamps, rear parking sensors and 15-inch alloy wheels. Automatic wipers, keyless entry and automatic start/stop technology are also included.