The new Mitsubishi Mirage was officially unveiled today in Kuala Lumpur at the JW Marriott Hotel by Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM), which has been developed on the concept of ‘compact’, ‘affordable’ and with ‘high fuel efficiency’.
The new Mirage focuses greatly on providing fuel efficiency and eco-friendliness, which MMM boasts that this little ‘tyke’ of a car is readily capable of achieving 21km for every litre of petrol – as rated by the new European Driving Cycle (NEDC).
Present to officiate the launch of the Mirage were both Osamu Masuko (President of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), Japan) as well as Tetsuya Oda (Chief Executive Officer of MMM).
Currently, the Mirage is being offered in three variants; one of which has a 5-speed manual transmission which starts off as the entry level GL at RM56,980, followed by the CVT GL and the CVT GS at RM61,980 and RM64,980 respectively. (All prices quoted are On-the-road with insurance).
The New Mirage comes with a new 1.2L 3-cylinder MIVEC engine (3A92) with continuously variable valve control that’s capable of outputting 76bhp at 6,000rpm and 100Nm of torque at 4,000rpm.
Although the Mirage allows you your choice picking of either a traditional 5-speed manual or on that comes with Mitsubishi’s INVECS III (Intelligent & Innovative Vehicle Electronic Control System) equipped CVT gearboxes, there’s also the decision of which of the 5 colours appeals most to you:
– Lemonade Yellow Metallic
– Eisen Grey Mica
– Red Metallic
– White Pearl
– Cool Silver Metallic
In terms of safety features the new Mirage uses high-tensile steel extensively to bring its weight down to a feathery kerb weight of 850kg with a CVT (825kg M/T) which helps to improve crash safety performance. However, it also comes with dual-SRS airbags, 4-wheel ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) and seat-belt pre-tensioners as well as ISOFIX Child Seat Mount, and an Anti-Pinch Power Window.
With such a frugal engine and a light weight chassis for an entry level B-Segement hatchback, Mitsubishi then turned their attention to providing it with some serious aerodynamic efficiency of only 0.30Cd, which may be the root cause for having a rather low rear ceiling clearance. The Mirage also gets slim 165/65 Bridgestone EP150 ECOPIA tyres that wrap its 14” rims.
The interior may seem spartan at first, but a closer look revealed a push-start button at the right of the leather-wrapped steering wheel (an interesting inclusion for an entry-level budget hatch-back) as well as a digital automatic air-conditioning, a double-DIN Kenwood head unit with USB, iPod and AUX connectivity. Even the gear knob has been leather wrapped.
However, it doesn’t seem to stop there, with MMM having made available a few optional packages that include the Aero Package (RM1,999.90), Chrome Package (RM750), RalliArt fuel lid cover (RM150) and leather seats (RM1,500). Owners are able to mix and match to their own preferences, almost as if it were a bespoke feel.
The new Mitsubishi Mirage is now available throughout their 54 showroom network nation-wide with plans to have seven new 3S centres as well as Body and Paint shops within the Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Sarawak by March 2013.
