Mitsubishi Mirage Looks Like 3-Cylinders of Mediocrity: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Mitsubishi has officially unveiled its new global small car, which is expected to help expand the brand’s lineup in North America. Bringing back the Mirage badge this sub-compact offering is just 146-inches in length, or roughly a foot shorter than the Honda Fit.
Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, the display car features a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine that uses start-stop technology to achieve a 70-mpg rating on the less strict Japanese test cycle. Still, that number should result in over 40-mpg on the U.S. EPA cycle, putting it ahead of rivals.
While 3-cylinder cars in North America aren’t unheard of (take the old Subaru Justy as an example), it’s still unlikely that Mitsubishi would offer this engine option in the U.S.
Mitsubishi hasn’t said as much, but based on the design (hub-caps included) it appears as though the concept was to create a low-cost budget vehicle along the lines of the Nissan Versa, rather than a stylish and high-content small car like the Ford Fiesta.
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