Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

For those who never heard of a Mitsuoka Ryugi, let's take a quick reminder that Mitsuoka's fancy compact midsize car is basically an eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla in a Rolls-Royce getup. Now, the Ryugi range welcomes a station wagon version packed with more space and tech.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

Yes, it's basically a Toyota Corolla Fielder underneath but you can still get some Rolls-Royce-ish elements as seen on its sedan counterpart, just to make it somewhat neoclassical despite being made from a commoner's car every Japanese salaryman would own for his day to day use.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon interior

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon interior

Because this is basically a Corolla Fielder underneath, you can still expect the similar interior that you get from the Toyota Corolla and some added space fit for your grocery shopping list. The length, width and the height of the Ryugi Wagon's interior is highly similar to the Corolla Fielder's and it seats up to five people, making it an ideal boutique family car for those who think their once-stylish Corolla Fielder isn't fancy enough to be driven on a fancy restaurant or a country club for some golf.

Under the hood, the Ryugi Wagon can be fitted with either a 1.5L 1NZ-FE, a 1.5L 2NR-FKE, a 1.5L 1NZ-FXE hybrid powerplant, or a more powerful 1.8L 2ZR-FAE engine. Most models do come with the CVT gearbox but entry-level versions do get a not-so-bad five speed manual gearbox. On the chassis side, the Ryugi Wagon doesn't sound fancy because its got a McPherson struts on the front and Torsion beams on the right. It's got rack-and-pinion steering so handling one is like every common salarymen do most of the time.

And because this is basically a Corolla Fielder underneath, the Ryugi Wagon comes with Toyota Safety Sense C consisting of three features such as a Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and the Automatic High Beam function. Because this safety system as seen on the Toyota Corolla range seems to be working so well, this feature can also be added on the Ryugi saloon as well.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

The Ryugi Wagon starts from 2,499,120 to 3,398,760 Japanese Yen, which sounds more expensive than the Toyota Corolla Fielder it's based upon but needless to say that with this Corolla Fielder dressed as a Rolls-Royce, you can easily fool someone while driving through a country club or a five star hotel, claiming that you're driving a fancy luxury car, only the fact is that you're not driving one because this is a Mitsuoka and this is basically, well, you get the idea.

Available Colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Super Red V, Orange Metallic, Super White II, and Blue Metallic.

Photo: Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.

Mitsuoka Ryugi

2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi

Your eyes can't deceive you. At first glance, it looks like a classic saloon but when you notice the name Mitsuoka on the detail, you would ask that this boutique Japanese car maker made a faux classic car out of an ordinary city car and yes, this is true. What you're looking at is the replacement to those old, tenth-generation Toyota Corolla-based, Galue 2-04 and Nouera 6-02. It's called the Ryugi and it's not to be confused with the Ryoga, which is based on the final-generation Nissan Primera per se. Oh no, this is a new boutique compact saloon for some people would say owning a neo-classical vehicle would be classy but it's not so classy when you heard this...

Underneath, it's based on the eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla Axio. Yes, you guessed it. It's a neo-classical machine based on a commoner vehicle that is made in Japan so just deal with it.

 2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi interior

2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi interior

On the inside, it still has the same comforts that you'd expect from the eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla and depending on the variant, you can expect some optional extras to spice up your Ryugi just the way you want it. You can hardly imagine if this is your ride to your next prom per se.

The Ryugi comes with either a 1NZ-FE 1.5L petrol engine or a 1NZ-FXE 1.5L petrol engine connected to a 1LM electric motor. Yes, this Mitsuoka offers a hybrid model for the first time. In petrol models, it can be mated with either a CVT or a 5-speed manual gearbox but on the hybrid model, it's available exclusively with a CVT gearbox.

In terms of handling, the Ryugi, like the Corolla, drives cheaply because of its rack and pinion steering, MacPherson struts on the front, and torsion beam coil springs at the back.

2015 Mitsuoka Ryugi

The base 15ST model is priced at 2,214,000 Japanese Yen (around $22,140) while the HYBRID model with the optional seat heater will cost you 3,110,400 Japanese Yen (around $31,140). There are 10 trim models to choose from while the petrol models do come with available four-wheel drive. So, fancy a Toyota Corolla in a Rolls-Royce getup?

Available colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Blackish Red Mica

Photo: Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.