NYIAS: Sir Mixalot Called and He Likes Your New Mitsubishi Mirage G4
Mitsubishi today pulled the cover off its new Mirage G4 sedan, which adds a longer wheelbase and a trunk to the occasionally-maligned subcompact, the 2016 New York International Auto Show. As we noted with the restyled hatchback, 4 more horsepower — for a total of 78 — will hum from the Mirage G4’s 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, and Mitsubishi will make available Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as an option.
The new trunk makes the ovoid Mirage look a bit more car-like. It may also make the Mirage a little more slippery through the air, but fuel economy ratings have yet to be announced.
The Mirage G4 will go on sale at used car dealerships with Mitsubishi signage this spring.
In addition to the trunked Mirage, the Outlander PHEV finally arrives on U.S. soil after a couple years of sales overseas. The plug-in hybrid pairs a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with twin electric motors and a 12-kWh lithium-ion battery to supply power to all four wheels.
Those electric motors can drive the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in full-electric mode, so the bunnies in the countryside can breath a sigh of relief before being trampled. The electrified utility vehicle can also operate in series and parallel hybrid modes when more power is demanded. Regenerative braking will attempt to keep the battery pack juiced in stop-and-go traffic.
The Outlander PHEV is scheduled to go on sale this fall.
No pricing has been announced for either vehicle.
[Images: Mitsubishi]
Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.
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Looks like a North Korean family hauler to me. Not sure I'd want to support some Thai military junta. On the other shoe Mirage sales prove not all Americans are consumptive pigs... There has been some pre-launch confusion. Some sites saying a 6 speed auto for G4 but I think it's confirmed CVT?
Sheesh! This is an inexpensive, fuel-efficient, reasonably well-made puddle-jumper being sold in a sputtering economy. The market used to be full of these kinds of cars, and the 'Corvette guys' left them well alone. Why all the hate?? Does anyone here really think Mitsubishi intended this car to impress CAR ENTHUSIASTS? It can't possibly be any worse than the Versa sedan, and Nissan sells loads of those. As has been mentioned, I think opinion of this car would be different if gas were $4.97 a gallon....again. Does everyone here really believe that a car costing $14,000 has to be 9/10ths of a $25,000 Corolla in order to be worth buying??