Damn! Updated Mitsubishi Mirage Breaks Cover

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems
damn updated mitsubishi mirage breaks cover

This should help sweep every last thought of the Ford Mustang and its hip new sibling out of your mind.

Teased not long ago by an excited Mitsubishi, the newest Mirage is now ready for a round of eye feasting. Get your fill. And, while the subcompact model hasn’t adopted a new platform or anything like that, it has donned its largest grille to date, plus some additional finery to drive cost-conscious boys and girls wild.

Starting at $13,795 in the U.S. and $10,998 in Canada (both pre-destination prices are for 2019 models), the Mirage occupies a small but important part of the automotive food chain: The bottom. In other words, this vehicle is one the cheapest ways for a North American buyer to get into a new set of wheels. Its U.S. sales have grown year after year.

For the coming refresh, the Mirage hatch and Attrage (G4) sedan, the latter of which may not make it stateside, adopt the brand’s Dynamic Shield front styling — a design language that, in Mitsubishi’s words, “sweeps round from the sides toward the middle of the nose in a protective embrace.”

Squint a little, and it looks like a Lada Vesta.

LED combination lamps seen on this Thai-market model “makes the front look wider and more stable,” claims the automaker. We cannot disagree. While normally we’d say we’ll have to wait to see if those LED peepers become standard fare in America, the fact we’re looking at a Thai-market vehicle makes it seem pretty likely.

Inside, there are more soft bits where you might place part of your body, as well as a Smartphone Display Audio system with 7-inch display. The unit apparently “improves legibility and clarity.” Outside, in addition to the sporty vents and revised bumper seen out back, buyers can spring for a wild set of 15-inch alloy wheels.

Given that the automaker has nothing to say about the sort-of new Mirage’s potency, we have to assume it soldiers on with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder, good for 78 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque. Depending on trim, a five-speed manual or continuously variable automatic handles the shifting duties.

[Images: Mitsubishi Motors]

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  • B-BodyBuick84 B-BodyBuick84 on Nov 19, 2019

    Fingers crossed the G4 sedan gets this update. Though while I'm at it, might as well wish for a 2 door shooting brake hatch based off the longer G4 platform, with an updated 6 speed manual and either turbocharge that little 1.2 litre 3 cylinder, or mash two together to get a balanced, high revving 2.6 litre V6. And yes, I remember when Mitsubishi made exciting, desirable vehicles.

  • NN NN on Nov 21, 2019

    Mitsubishi is ok with relatively low sales expectations. Given that & their success playing on the fringe markets that other brands are abandoning, they are the perfect, absolutely perfect brand to re-introduce the minivan with character back to the US market, the Mitsubishi Delica Tough Box: https://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/lineup/delica_d5_standard/index.html?intcid2=top-recommendcar_02

  • FreedMike So it has transited out of existence here...
  • TheEndlessEnigma Self fulfilling prophesy. Ford spends virtually nothing on sales and marketing for the Transit....then scratches their collective heads not understand why it doesn't sell to their assumed objectives. If you do not market the vehicle, it will not sell. Pretty simple to understand really. Ford sure is working hard to make itself a niche automobile company, trucks and SUV's only. But that's OK, Kia/Hyundai/Toyota/Honda and yes even Volkswagen & Nissan are more than happy to sell to those customers Ford is apparently happy to walk away from.
  • NJRide I would think this segment would have a following but I guess not enough of a price difference with larger vans and probably too unrefined to be a sort of minivan alternative
  • Stuki Moi "...until I realize they're just looking for an open spot that doesn't have a hydrant next to it."As if that's some sort of excuse..... It's almost up there with the yahoos who effectively park, blocking a street, to wait for someone who looks like he may be, maybe..., leaving his parking spot at some point in the future.If you need to park; practice drive and dive. Cars have good brakes these days. Keep traffic flowing, come what may. That's the name of efficient driving game. Not all manners of "yes, but I'm like, you know, like...." so that everyone else are stuck behind you.
  • Dukeisduke I don't listen to AM that much, but I still listen. I think it's stupid not to include it in new cars.
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