Mitsubishi

Mirage

With every model in the range emitting less than the cash-saving 100g/km of carbon, Mitsubishi’s Mirage is a lightweight, but very safe arrival in the small car segment.

The good

Low running costs

The bad

Up against some very strong rivals

Tech Specs

Price from

£11,054

Combined Fuel up to

65.7mpg

0-62 from

11.7 seconds

max speed up to

112mph

co2 from

99g/km

Test Drive

Mitsubishi Mirage

With dazzling colours that could possibly be visible from outer space there is certainly nothing imaginary about Mitsubishi’s latest arrival in the small car segment – the Mirage.

There’s a whole host of bright and cheerful colours to choose from ranging from Pop Green and Reef Blue to White Pearlescent, but one thing is certain, the Mirage will not pass unnoticed.

The sharply dressed hatchback is available in three trim levels, Mirage 1, 2 and 3 and buyers can select from a choice of new lightweight and compact three-cylinder petrol engines available with either 1.0 or 1.2-litre powertrains. There is even an automatic version to keep everyone happy.

The car is the lightest in its class but Mitsubishi has not compromised on safety in achieving the 455 to 865kg weight. That’s because the Mirage is constructed using the company’s Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution and involves the use of an incredibly strong structure built from ultra-high tensile steel. This body is designed to ensure maximum crash protection for all occupants in the event of an accident.

Apart from its striking colours, the Mirage looks compact and neat from all angles thanks to smooth aerodynamics, tinted windows, body-coloured door mirrors and door handles, a rear spoiler and smart light clusters.

And there’s nothing shabby about the interior either as even the lower-trim Mirage 1 is pretty feature-rich.

It includes daytime running lights, a radio/CD player, a three-spoke tilt adjust steering wheel, front electric windows, anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution, active stability control with traction control and lots more besides.

Move up to the mid-range Mirage 2 and you can expect to see the introduction of privacy glass, automatic headlights, rain sensors, rear power windows, a seat height adjuster and plenty more.

Finally, the top notch Mirage 3 adds in features such as a leather steering wheel and gear-knob, keyless entry, automatic air con, and 15-inch alloys.

But the Mirage is much more than a good value car, it is great value. That’s because it boasts a fuel economy ranging from 65.7 to 68.9mpg and carbon emissions from 95 to 100g/km making it exempt from any road tax or congestion charge.

And prices start from just £8,999 rising to £12,999 although optional extras are available at an additional charge if required.

Mitsubishi believes the model most buyers will opt for is the Mirage 3 with a 1.2-litre engine and five-speed manual transmission, so that’s the car we put through its paces on a test drive incorporating winding lanes, dual carriageways and busy town centres. And it coped pretty well.

There is a somewhat simplistic design layout yet the plastic is not cheap and tacky and all dials, controls and read-outs are ideally positioned for ease of use.

Comfort levels are good although space is a little restricted for rear seat passengers if there are two taller people up front. The boot can easily cope with the weekly shopping and the 60:40 split-folding rear seats mean extra storage capacity is always an option.

Acceleration and road-holding was good and the loud road surface noise was more than likely down to the pothole-ridden roads on our route rather than the Mirage’s insulation.

The Mirage claims to have the best turning circle in class and it proved very nimble and easy to manoeuvre, with good all-round visibility another plus factor.

The test car was also fitted with a number of fuel-saving features such as auto stop and go, regenerative brakes and low friction tyres.

And as a gentle reminder, there is a clever three-bar Eco Drive Assist display in the instrument cluster which gives a visual indication of how economically the car is being driven. The more green lights on show the better and a red light resulting from a heavier right boot means fuel efficiency will be compromised.

My only real concern during the test run was the windscreen wipers did tend to shake a little at higher speeds, but that aside the Mirage was a good all-round performer.

Bosses at Mitsubishi believe they will easily out-perform their sales targets for the little hatchback over the next 12 months and there has already been amazing interest in the newcomer.