It turns out that news of an Asian-market Chrysler sedan that was a re-badged Mitsubishi Mirage wasn’t entirely accurate.
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Tag: Mitsubishi Mirage
Chrysler will re-badge the Mitsubishi Attrage (the sedan version of the much-loved Mitsubishi Mirage) for sale in Asian markets. Sounds crazy, right? Not really.
Deep within the comments of a recent luxury vehicle review, a familiar, satirical exchange takes place:
Googleplex: The pixel-density on the new touch system is passable, but LCD screens in cars in 2014 are laughable. Have these people even heard of AMOLED?
MauraudStar: Panther Love knows no touchscreens, my friend.
MoparMalaise: Panther Love knows no rich Corinthian leather, either.
VivaVega: We lost the war against fuel injection in the 1980’s, and I’m not about to give up the rest of my control to electronic nannies. Spare me your all-wheel drive, your dual-clutch transmissions and the 30 years of weight gain! Why can’t someone build a simple, functional car anymore?
Will any manufacturer answer VivaVega’s question? Enter the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage.
There it stood, right next to the Michael Jordan Wheaties display.
A brand-new 1992 yellow Geo Metro convertible.
Price Chopper, a local New York supermarket chain (think Pathmark or Albertson’s on crack) was opening up a brand new location in Saratoga Springs.
The Metro would be the perfect vehicle for upstate New York’s salty roads and wickedly cold weather for one irrefutable reason. It was free… after tax, tag and title. The only thing I had to do was figure out how to win it.
So I got busy. 150 entries a day for 3 full months. 13,000 in all. The day came for the drawing, and I won!
Not content to let Nissan steal their A-segment thunder, Mitsubishi brought out their Mirage G4 sedan, which was locked and on a turntable, next to an Evo and a Mirage hatchback. In person, the G4 looks just as pinched and stretched as photos make it out to be.
Stumbling upon old family photographs is a funny thing. Sometimes, you find out that your parents were actually pretty cool in their day, devoid of middle-aged paunches or wrinkles, and decked out in stylish clothes, with good-looking but rarely mentioned companions on their arm that elicit scowls and glares when you innocently inquire about their identity. Looking at old photos of the Mitsubishi Mirage is a little like that.
The Montreal Auto Show is shaping up to be a blowout for fans of B-Segment cars. Aside from the usual Quebec specials, Montreal has been the launch pad for the Canada-only Nissan Micra and the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 you see above.
The often-ignored Montreal Auto Show will have two major debuts, both A-segment cars that may not make it past the 49th parallel. According to Autos.ca, Mitsubishi will debut a production-ready version of the G4 concept, aka a Mirage sedan, while Nissan will show off a Canadian-spec Micra. The diminutive Micra will likely slot below the Versa Note in size, but perhaps be positioned as a chic city car, to compete with the Fiat 500.
This pink Mitsubishi Mirage Hello Kitty Edition, made to celebrate the cartoon feline’s 40th birthday, will be limited to just 400 units, and will cost less than $12,000 when it goes on sale in Japan this month. I can’t say I’ve ever really thought about stepping foot in a Mitsubishi showroom until now, but the Hello Kitty throw pillow would make a great addition to my apartment. I wonder if it can be ordered through the parts counter.
Canada’s affinity for small cars may result in it getting yet another exclusive product that won’t be offered to Americans. In addition to the Toyota Echo hatchback, Acura EL and Mercedes-Benz B-Class, the Nissan Micra may be sold in Canada.
Mitsubishi has taken the wraps of the sedan version of the new Mirage, dubbed the Attrage. Just-Auto reports that the Thai-based sedan will launch in July, and will be exported shortly thereafter. Powertrains will carry over from the Mirage, but hopefully the name will change when it comes to our shores.
Pop quiz:
- What segment sells in strong volumes in America?
- What segment is considered poison by American consumers?
- Why is Mitsubishi neglecting a popular segment while focusing on an unpopular one?
Mitsubishi announced fuel economy figures for their newest subcompact, which will revive the Mirage name. At 37 mpg city and 44 mpg highway, the Mirage will best the Chevrolet Spark, its main competitor in the A-segment. But Mitsubishi has yet to announce any of their powertrain offerings for the Mirage. Overseas, a 1.2L 4-cylinder making 73 horsepower is offered.
Honda wasn’t the only Japanese auto maker debuting something at the Montreal Auto Show. Mitsubishi debuted the Canadian-spec version of the new Mirage – without giving it a name.
Mitsubishi’s commitment to the American market seems to hinge on two crossovers, one plug-in, and a hilariously undersized A-segment car. The plan is so absurd that it may have a chance of succeeding.
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