Mitsubishi Mirage Revealed, Australian Debut Set For Late 2012

2012 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

Update: Mitsubishi Australia comments added.

Mitsubishi's "Global Small Car" concept, revealed late last year, has reared its head in production form this week. Its unveiling at next month's Tokyo Motor Show will also mark the return of an old favourite: the Mirage name. 

Entering as a new light car in Japan and other global markets, the 3710mm-long Mirage is a good whack smaller than the Colt (3870mm in three-door form), the smallest Mitsubishi available in most Western markets.

Powertrain options for the 2012 Mirage will include 1.0 and 1.2 litre three-cylinder petrol engines, featuring Mitsubishi's familiar MIVEC technology and a new Auto Stop & Go system.

Mated to a CVT automatic transmission and combined with a lightweight construction and low rolling-resistance tyres, Mitsubishi says the new Mirage will offer fuel consumption figures as low as 3.3 l/100km.

Australia

Developed as a global model, the new Mirage will make its sales debut in Thailand early next year, before going on to launch in other global markets.

Speaking with TMR today, Mitsubishi Australia's Lenore Fletcher confirmed that an Australian debut for the Mirage will likely occur in the fourth quarter of next year, following a mid-year launch in Japan.

"Yes, the Mirage is our new light vehicle, and what you see here is about as close to production as you could expect," Ms Fletcher said.

The obvious competitor in Australia for the Mirage is Nissan's new Micra, which starts at $12,990. Ms Fletcher said that while the launch date is too far away to speculate on price, we can expect a well-equipped offering.

"If you look at the current Mitsubishi range, we've always offered a high specification, such as the Lancer: seven airbags as standard, reversing camera availability and reversing sensors... so you can expect an impressive level of equipment for the Mirage," Ms Fletcher said.