FCA To Sell Re-Badged Mitsubshi Mirages In Colt Redux

by Derek Kreindler

June 27th, 2014 1:39 AM

fca to sell re badged mitsubshi mirages in colt redux

Chrysler will re-badge the Mitsubishi Attrage (the sedan version of the much-loved Mitsubishi Mirage) for sale in Asian markets. Sounds crazy, right? Not really.

Chrysler has a history of selling small Mitsubishis under their own brand in North America, but the agreement with Mitsubishi will cover Asia, a region where Chrysler has never been particularly strong. No specific markets or brand decisions were announced for the Thai-built sedan, but we’d like to humbly suggest a name for the new car: the Colt.

#Asia #Chrysler #Fca #Fiat #Mitsubishi #MitsubishiMirage

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16 of 22 comments

VoGo on Jun 27, 2014

I thought that the one thing Fiat did well was build inexpensive, small cars. Well, looks like Fiat can't build a small, inexpensive car as good as the Mitsubishi Mirage, which is almost universally viewed as the worst car on sale in the US.

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- Marcelo de Vasconcellos on Jun 27, 2014
  
  In your desire to make a quick, cute and all encompassing statement you missed some pretty obvious points. One of the keys of making small and inexpensive is local production. Being Thailand in ASEAN, FCA pretty much covers this. The Mirage has been well received in Ásia so that puts to rest that kind of worry. Finally, as a strategic move, getting sales is Ásia is one of FCA's main challenges to remain a global contender.
  
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- Jpolicke on Jun 27, 2014
  
  @Marcelo de Vasconcellos This quick and dirty expedient may get some B-class traffic to walk into the doors of Asian FCA dealers, but selling a product where your involvement was limited to picking the name will never make you a global contender.
  
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- Marcelo de Vasconcellos on Jun 27, 2014
  
  @jpolicke Well, the Chrysler group and the Fiat group, back before the economic meltdown, were close to the magic 6 million sales, Marchionne and others point to as the magic number that makes your company a global contender. Their weakness has always been a lack of an Asian presence. Selling a re-badged product from a well-accepted Asian make in Asian markets, sort of slips in your name into those markets and gains mind space. I agree it's not the best way to do it, but it's a way. FCA right now how too much on its plate and is using too much money developing the next generation of their cars. I guess they just don't have the financial capacity to set up shop by themselves. This move also brings them closer to an Asian make. You'll always see FCA happy to deal with Mazda, Suzuki and Mitsubishi as it's a way to keep corporate ties to Asian makes that FCA has its eyes on.
  
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- Victor on Jun 28, 2014
  
  @Marcelo de Vasconcellos I say it is the best way. Sure they could built a plant in Malaysia and start churning Palios out, but the Mirage is a safer bet. One that is cheaper and that will make them a player ready for bigger things in the long run. Also, Mitsubishi is a longtime Chrysler partner that is as of today single and ready to mingle. So, why not? We know the L200 is being considered as basis for Fiat's old dream of having a proper mid size truck. I say go for it, FCA. While at it, go ahead and buy Mazda and Suzuki.
  
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- Marcelo de Vasconcellos on Jun 28, 2014
  
  @Marcelo de Vasconcellos Yep agree with everything you say. Especially as the Mirage has been well received. Comparing the Mirage (without driving) to the Palio, i'm pretty sure the Palio is better but then we run into the elephant in the room, Sandero. the Sandero drives better than a Micra, has more space than a Palio.
  
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Lorenzo on Jun 27, 2014

Can we really rule out this car being sold in America? Mitsubishi has an American plant in Normal, Illinois that makes just one model, the compact Outlander Sport. I believe the midsize Outlander is made in Japan. It's a big, automated plant, 2.4 million square feet with something like a quarter-million car capacity. Mitsu might want to make better use of that plant than build just the Outlander Sport there.

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Niky on Jun 28, 2014

I can see it happening. As it stands, the Attrage is a much better car than the Mirage. Steadier handling, much, much more interior space (legroom is actually impressive compared to the Korean subcompact twins, though elbow room is still lacking) and better interior materials. And it still retains the basic pros of the Mirage: Very rigid and safe chassis, ultra-lightweight construction. Make that in America with Chrysler interiors, fix the steering with firmer bushes and a recalibrated rack, add firmer dampers, sacrifice 20 pounds or so by replacing the wretched cable transmission with a linkage... slap a quick and dirty turbo on the motor and you could sell something for sub-Korean money that's much nicer than a Versa, at least. And if it succeeds, hopefully Mitsubishi will license the changes back from Chrysler so we can finally get the Mirage's ultra-lightweight chassis with a nice car attached to it. :p

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- Old Man Pants on Jun 28, 2014
  
  I love it but how do you market this for a company where even the Dart has to be a mean little road-burning assault bucket? A littler mean little road-burning assault bucket? Call it Chicken Hawk ala Foghorn Leghorn?
  
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- Marcelo de Vasconcellos on Jun 28, 2014
  
  Niki, Kenmore, fact is that if they wanted to, and had the build capacity, they already have a car in their stable, that has more legroom, more elbow room, more headroom, much larger trunk and better handling than the Versa. It's called the Fiat Grand Siena an serious consideration was given to turining it into a Neon for export to America. Three things stopped that project, the fact the car brings in more money in Latin America, the difficulty of sticking a 2.0 in it and the fact Fiat is already selling everything it produces in Latin America. WIth the addition of Fiat and Chrysler, they do have a full line of cars that don't actually owe anything to the competition in driving dynamics. THe set up the Grand Siena has is very comfortable for city driving and buckles down quickly for the hustle. Kenmore, it's another one that is on my short list. Big windows, too!
  
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- Victor on Jun 28, 2014
  
  @Marcelo de Vasconcellos Is the Grand Siena really roomier than the Versa? I mean, it is better in so many ways, but I found the Versa to be a bit bigger inside when on showroom floor. What kept me away from the Versa were Nissan's ReclameAqui records, and the fact that it looks like garbage both inside and out. Cheaper and loaded, though.
  
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- Marcelo de Vasconcellos on Jun 28, 2014
  
  @Victor The Grand Siena is tighter than the Versa? Not really. The headdroom in the back kills the Versa. Yes lots of legroom, but what's the use when you have to be slouched forward to use it. I'm 1.8 and i can sit right in the Siena, but not the Versa. Then there's the extra elbow room and larger trunk. Plus the better drivability. Neither though are the best. In this category, the cost/benefit of the Logan can't be touched, and though pricier, the Cobalt offers more than the others.
  
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- Victor on Jun 28, 2014
  
  @Marcelo de Vasconcellos Rear legroom is the #1 measurement I look for. I'm 1.93m and there aren't that many compact cars I can fit a grown up behind the driver's seat. Maybe that is why I perceived the Versa as a bit roomier. But you're right on the money.
  
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Corey Lewis on Jun 30, 2014

Chrysler never can seem to get away from Mitsu and their awful cars. Here I thought in 2010+ they were finally done with them. Nope, hop back into that familiar Mitsu bed with a broken leg. It'll be fine!

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- 28-Cars-Later on Jun 30, 2014
  
  FCA had really been wowing me from a product perspective, I'm not surprised they finally came up with a dud in the making.
  
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- Corey Lewis on Jun 30, 2014
  
  @28-Cars-Later Perhaps they can get a JDM Mitsu cargo van, add windows, and rebadge it as the new Journey! And then they can start making Mitsu/Dodge cars in the midwest, and etc.etc.
  
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