Drive Mirage and experience what a compact car from Mitsubishi can give you: durability, reliability, safety and the affordability that comes from driving a car that delivers around 700 kilometres of travel off a single 35L tank! It’s a small car, but it’s made for the big picture.
Mitsubishi Motors enters the popular A-segment for the first time in South Africa with the Mirage, already its tail raised high for a good reason. The Mirage is a winner in every way you look at it. Already in has won awards, all for ticking all the boxes for this supermini segment – great quality, generous specifications and minimal fuel consumption. To clarify the latter, with fuel consumption of a mere 4.9 litters per 100km, Mitsubishi Mirage’s 35-litre tank can take all 700km!
The new Mitsubishi Mirage enters the local market with the full might of the Mitsubishi brand behind it – a badge which signifies exceptional reliability, integrity and practicality from one of Japan’s foremost automotive manufacturers, and one which has produced some of the world’s most iconic vehicles.
“People know us for tremendous off-roaders and exceptional durability, and we are now set to attract a new demographic to the Mitsubishi brand with our first ever supermini. We know just how competitive the supermini segment is in South Africa and as such we have ensured that Mirage is aggressively priced to take the fight to more established marques in the segment,” Wynand Pretorius, chief operations officer at Mitsubishi Motors South Africa said in a statement.
“We are launching Mirage with a very competitive R1 899 per month finance proposition which includes 12-months comprehensive insurance, making overall car ownership that much more affordable for younger buyers.”
AFFORDABILITY
Mirage indeed takes affordability to the next level. Three brand-new Mirage derivatives make up the new range in South Africa, each of which has been designed to offer different levels of specification with no compromise on powertrain, safety or efficiency.
The funky, fashionable and youthful exterior styling sees a truly distinct design language giving the new Mirage a unique character in its segment. The rounded front end is optimised for aerodynamic efficiency and visual appeal, and makes way for the vehicle’s compact proportions.
The upbeat and cheerful paint colour spectrum available on the new Mirage range comprises a mix of bright and trendy colours which highlight the fun-to-drive element of this new vehicle. From Lemonade Yellow Metallic to Medium Blue Mica and Red Metallic, all hues liven up the already bubbly personality of the new Mirage.
The five-door design also sees strong styling creases on the flanks met by either 14- or 15-inch wheels, and the pert rear end features a sassy design theme and characterful tail light clusters. Compact proportions – the Mirage is just 3.71 metres long – enhance manoeuvrability, as does the exceptionally tight, class-leading turning radius of just 4.6 metres.
INTERIOR AND ENGINE
On the inside, the Mirage boasts an unexpectedly roomy cabin, finished in attractive and durable cloth trim. All models also feature five cup or bottle holders, folding rear seats in a 60:40 split and height adjustment for the driver’s seat.
The delightful specification level is perfect for the supermini market – standard features across the range include dual airbags, air conditioning, electric windows, a radio/CD audio system and steering wheel audio controls.
Each of the three derivatives is powered by Mitsubishi’s surprisingly sprightly 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder DOHC petrol engine. The impressive power – 57 kW at 6 000 rpm – is delivered to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The 100 Nm of torque peaks at 4 000 rpm.
Featuring MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control), fuel efficiency was the most important engineering attribute during Mirage development. The results speak for themselves – the Mirage is touted as the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid petrol-engined vehicle in the United States.
AWARDS
The Mitsubishi Mirage has won some accolades, and is also shortlist for more more awards in international markets. The car has to date won the:
• 2014 Automotive Science Group’s “Best All-round Performance” award in North America
• 2012-2013 “Car of the Year” award by the Car Awards Group in the Philippines, and an 18 out of 20 rating by Top Gear magazine in the Philippines, who stated the Mirage as being “the sweetest deal in town” for single people or young couples on a budget
• one of Forbes Magazine’s “12 Greenest Cars of 2014” – one of only two non-hybrid vehicles to make the coveted list.
PRICE
Mirage 1.2 MIVEC GL 5M/T R124 900 (incl. 12 months comprehensive insurance)
Mirage 1.2 MIVEC GLX 5M/T R134 900 (incl. 12 months comprehensive insurance)
Mirage 1.2 MIVEC GLS 5M/T R144 900 (incl. 12 months comprehensive insurance)
All new Mitsubishi Mirage models are backed by Mitsubishi’s comprehensive 3-year/ 100 000km warranty. Service intervals are set at every 15 000 km, and a 2-year/ 30 000 km service plan is included in the retail price.
