, , Price and equipment, , MIRAGE by name, and mirage by nature., , If you’re a satisfied owner of the rakish, 1996 to 2004 era, CE three-door predecessor, look away now. This is not what you might be expecting., , Why Mitsubishi elected to squander a badge with enough currency to fight the VW Polo and co. on an ultra low-cost economy car aimed at the Nissan Micra and Suzuki Alto is a mystery. , , Indeed, drivers of Colt, the previous Mitsubishi light-car that has been usurped by this Mirage, may be shocked at how down-market the Thai-built five-door has gone. This is a cheap car and feels it., , Stylistically the newcomer captures none of the futuristic or sporty charm of its respective predecessors, looking more like a non-descript 1990s Japanese Kei car. But only slightly wider., , But with that off our chests, it’s important to consider what the newcomer does actually offer, especially for an astounding $12K driveaway (or $14,250 in ES CVT auto guise as tested)., , Firstly, it’s no stripper. Equipment levels include electronic stability control of course, front, side and curtain airbags, air-conditioning, remote central locking, Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, USB and auxiliary connectivity, a leather-bound steering wheel with audio and phone controls, and 14-inch steel wheels with hubcaps., , Auto models also score the advantage of Hill-Start Assist., , So, how does Mitsubishi do it for the money? Surely there’s a catch somewhere? , , Interior, , Not in here., , To its credit, Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited listened to the barrage of pre-release criticism, to create a Mirage that’s far more suitable to local palettes than some more basic overseas models., , Among the changes include better-grade seat trim, two-tone cabin colouring, and more sound-deadening material. , , From an aesthetic and aural point of view at least, the upshot is a cabin of two halves., , The off-white plastic on the doors and lower dash area may be hard and hollow, but they make the Mirage feel less down-market than the unrelenting monochromatic cheapness inside the Nissan Micra., , Similarly, piano-black console surrounds, a handsome leather-wrapped (though tilt-only) three-spoke steering wheel, and some subtle metallic-plastic infusions dotted around the dash further lift the ambience above most sub-$13K runabouts – VW’s austere but classy Up being the obvious exception., , We applaud Mitsubishi’s sensible yet stylish switch layout, clear and comprehensive instrumentation, ample ventilation outlets (are you listening, VW?), effective air-conditioning, and sound overall build quality., , From a packaging perspective everything is present – deep door pockets, a big glovebox, sufficient front-seat space, and a driving position that ought to work for most folks. Relatively deep windows also help take the guessing game out of manoeuvring a Mirage., , Excellent Bluetooth connectivity, with the bonus of remote audio streaming, is a further bonus., , But the flat front seat cushions lack support they need more rearward travel for taller drivers the light trim scuffs too easily and there’s too much road noise entering inside., , The latter is much more noticeable in the drab second row – which can only fit three people if they’re converted to stick figures first., , The rear bench matches the front cushion for flatness, and offers little in the way of convenience features beyond a power window switch and a single cupholder.

Forget about finding a map pocket or overhead grab handle. , , On the other hand, the rear windows slide all the way down, increasing ventilation access on hot days for smaller bodies. , , Finally, the Mirage’s boot area is larger than most rivals at this price point, offering a trio of child-seat anchorage points directly behind the split/fold backrest (though the capsules themselves need to be no larger than Cabbage Patch Doll dimensions), while the large hatch and deep floor (where the space-saver spare resides) should be enough for most single peoples’ needs., , Engine and transmission, , We’re fans of three-cylinder engines, and the Mirage’s unit doesn’t let us down in isolation., , Rorty yet surprisingly smooth and punchy from the get-go, it instils a throaty can-do charm that completely belies the 1.2-litre capacity. It will rev fairly swiftly to the 6500rpm red line, but prefers to stick below that., , Most Mirages will be married to a CVT Continuously Variable Transmission, but unless you’re unable to, we strongly recommend saving $2500 and settling for the five-speed manual shifter instead., , That’s because the three-pedal version doesn’t suffer from the CVT’s languid step-off acceleration. The latter requires a decent dose of revs before it can feel anything approaching sprightly, and by then most urban traffic is overtaking you in pity or rage., , On the go, though, the CVT works fine, responding sufficiently enough to not make the Mirage a chore on the highway, but you’ll never choose this Mitsubishi as your preferred overtaking vehicle., , On the flipside, outstanding official combined average fuel consumption is up for the offer, but our constant foot-down driving just to keep the CVT moving along around town and inner ‘burbs meant we rarely fell below 7.0L/100km., , Note that while there is no Tiptronic-style sequential shift mechanism, an engine braking option below ‘Drive’ does come in handy for slowing down without needing to apply the brakes. Also, a hill-start assist function is fitted to help with those pesky inclines., , , Ride and handling, , So where has MMC saved its pennies? , , Just one spirited drive will reveal a chassis much happier around town than on Aussie rural roads., , What feels relatively absorbent and controlled in an urban environment, with light and tight steering for a delightfully tight turning circle, deteriorates into roly-poly raggedness the moment you push on a bit, with copious body leaning and plenty of tyre scrubbing being the name of the game here. , , Fitting high-walled 165/65 R14 Bridgestone rubber probably doesn’t help here., , Furthermore, over 100km/h the Mirage lacks the surefooted feel of any modern little car we’ve tested lately, and is too susceptible to strong winds out on the freeway., , Making things worse is steering totally devoid of feel and feedback, so the driver never knows what’s going on down below, while there’s a momentary delay to all steering inputs at the straight-ahead, further divorcing the person from the machine., , This is a slightly unnerving car to place precisely through faster corners as a result, undermined by heaps of rack rattle and that shuddery understeer. Has MMAL specified Thailand-market steering for our Mirages? This situation needs to change right now., , Plus, the brakes feel tinny when required to react above and beyond the urban sphere., , Basically, there’s not much fun to be had here at all. Stick to the city streets and the Mirage will shine. Anything beyond reveals a chassis that feels half-baked for Aussie conditions., , Remember, the Mirage’s aforementioned local makeover included a front anti-roll bar and better noise-quelling insulation. Only the latter seems to have had any effect., , , Safety and servicing , , Five-year’s worth of unlimited kilometre warranty, with fixed-price servicing included, is no surprise from a Mitsubishi nowadays, but the five-star ANCAP crash-test rating is excellent. , , Well done here, Mirage engineers., , Verdict , , For warranty, cabin presentation, gearbox efficiency, engine refinement, fuel economy, and crash-test ratings, the Mirage outshines the more expensive and less well equipped Micra., , But the Mitsubishi lacks the charm or capability of its Nissan nemesis, and is nowhere near as accomplished as the Up, with sluggish off-the-mark performance, lifeless steering, sloppy handling, and a tippy toed feel at speed that undermines what could have been a real class contender., , In CVT guise at least, the Mirage delivers less than its nameplate and specifications suggest, and so must rank as one of the disappointments of the year. , , Built down to a low price, the ES is closer to an Alto than an Up in character and feel., , Unless you are basically completely town-based, we recommend you save up for a Lancer, find a near-new Colt, or look elsewhere instead. , , Rivals, , , 1.

Volkswagen Up 5DR, From $14,990 plus on-roads, The global segment benchmark is right here, with impressive capabilities oozing out of every orifice. Only poor face ventilation, feeble air-con, and no auto option jar. Haggle on price. , , 2. Nissan K13 Micra ST, From $13,490 plus on-roads , Now almost three years old, the three-cylinder five-seater ST remains a bargain, being a cheap, spacious, spirited, and well-equipped way to get around. But it is a bit rough around the edges. , , 3. Holden MJ Barina Spark CD Series II, From $12,490 plus on-roads, Forget the breathless manual – the (slightly torquier) auto version lifts the roomy and quite upright Spark, but it is still dull to drive and unappealingly cheapo inside. , , , Specs, , MAKE/MODEL: MITSUBISHI LA MIRAGE ES CVT
, ENGINE: 1193cc 3-cyl DOHC petrol
, LAYOUT: AWD, transverse
, POWER: 57kW @ 6000rpm
, TORQUE: 100Nm @ 4000rpm
, TRANSMISSION: CVT auto
, 0-100km: 9.9
, TOP SPEED: 190km/h
, FUEL: 4.9L/100km
, CO2: 109g/km
, L/W/H/W’BASE: 3710/1665/1490/2450mm
, WEIGHT: 865kg
, SUSPENSION f/r: Struts/Torsion beam
, STEERING: Electric rack and pinion
, BRAKES f/r: Discs/drums
, PRICE: From $12,990 plus on-roads