Mitsubishi Mirage (A05A)

There are so many eco cars sold around Japan such as the Nissan March K13, which can do 23km/L. Then there was the Toyota Vitz that goes about 20.8km/L. And then, there was the Daihatsu Move which has the reputation of TNP27. 27km/L to be exact. Now however, there's a new eco car that works and...made in Thailand like the March...

2013 Mitsubishi Mirage

Here it is. It's called the Mitsubishi Mirage (三菱・ミラージュ). As if some you may know, the Mirage naming is back as the direct rival to the Nissan March K13 even though both of them are made in Thailand. Like the March K13, the Mirage features a very simple design which is a bit too bland for us, and um....well like the March K13, the new Mirage comes with the idling stop function that shuts off the engine when stopped and then start again when mobilized. Unlike the March K13, the new Mirage has a fuel economy of 27.2km/L based on the JC08 test cycle. That's about a Suzuki MR Wagon territory because....well, yeah, both the MR Wagon and the new Mirage can do about 27.2km/L, .2km/L more than the TNP27 Daihatsu Move. Because the new Mirage weighs 870kg, it's lighter than the Nissan March K13! Don't forget that.

It's probably thanks to the newly-developed 3A90 MIVEC 1.0L engine mated with the new generation INVECS-III CVT for smoother ride and low fuel consumption. The 3A90 engine though, this produces 69 PS (51 kW; 68 hp) of power and 8.8 kg·m (86 N·m; 64 lb·ft) of torque. That's about less than the Nissan March K13 so....not good. INVECS-III CVT...not good. Handling....not good. Performance...not good. Interior...not good.

2013 Mitsubishi Mirage interior

Yes, I know, the interior's a bit too plain and cheap. About as bland as the Toyota Passo I've examined two years ago. Once opted with the more expensive version, I might get a satellite navigation or a radio because a Mirage without an audio is a bit too....dull. How can I listen to my favorite radio stations if I don't have it? I mean, it's unlawful to have headphones while driving. As for the seating comfort, well, these seats is as comfortable as a...well, a Nissan March K13 of some sorts! This is about the same experience as I can imagine to Thai-made Japanese cars but that's fine by me because the price for the new Mirage, imported from Thailand, is 998,000 Japanese Yen for the basic E grade, 1,188,000 Japanese Yen for the mid-range M grade, and 1,288,000 Japanese Yen for the top of the line G grade.

Available colors are: Lemonade Yellow Metallic, Pop Green Metallic, Cassis Purple Metallic, Cerulean Blue Mica, Red Metallic, White Pearl, Black Mica, and Cool Silver Metallic.

My comment:

You can forget the Nissan March K13. If I have to keep one fuel-efficient car in my garage, this would be it. This one with the new 3A90 MIVEC 1.0L engine mated with the new generation INVECS-III CVT. This one that promises 27.2km/L of fuel economy. Sure, the Mirage is about as practical as a Philippine taxi but as an everyday car, you can do better. It maybe cheap because of the 998,000 Japanese Yen pricing but I'm afraid like the others, it isn't cheerful. You can give it to your girlfriend because she likes it.

Photo: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation