AS part of an expanding footprint in South Africa, Mitsubishi Motors is gearing up for the debut of the all-new Mitsubishi Mirage next month.
Poised to take the fight to competitors in the budget-and youth-focused A-segment, the new entry-level five-door hatchback prides itself on providing enjoyable, fuel-efficient motoring with youthful appeal.
A new three-model range will arrive with Mitsubishi integrity, reliability and practicality as well as exceptional fuel-efficiency and safety. The superbly compact proportions envelop a spacious and manoeuvrable vehicle which is an ideal everyday runabout.
"Mitsubishi is renowned all over the world as one of Japan's foremost automotive brands and we are on a resurgence in the South African market," said Wynand Pretorius, general manager at Mitsubishi Motors South Africa.
"With the new Mirage, the brand will be entering the A-segment for the very first time in South Africa, and with a fun little car at that. We exhibited the Mirage at last year's Johannesburg International Motor Show, where we received extremely positive responses from showgoers. In these increasingly difficult economic times, it makes all the sense in the world to introduce our new supermini, which will be very competitively priced."
All new Mirage derivatives will be powered by Mitsubishi's 1.2-litre, three-cylinder MIVEC DOHC petrol engine, mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
Average fuel economy on the combined cycle is just 4.9l/100 km, allowing the Mirage to punch above its weight on the fuel efficiency front.
In fact, the Mirage is acclaimed as the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid petrol vehicle in the US, a market where it is also viewed as the lightest five-door, five-passenger vehicle. This was achieved after an extensive weight-saving engineering process.
The Mirage is fitted as standard with keyless entry and safety equipment, including ABS, EBD and dual airbags, in a body designed around Mitsubishi's RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) impact-absorbing chassis structure.
The new Mitsubishi Mirage will be backed by Mitsubishi's comprehensive three-year/100000km warranty. Full range details and pricing will be announced at launch.