The Mitsubishi Mirage jumps forward to 2017

THE MIRAGE is back for 2017 with a new grille, new headlights, new fog lamps and stylish new 15-inch rims.

Photos by Aida Sevilla-Mendoza

At the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, Mitsubishi Motors unveiled the new Mirage for 2017, skipping the 2016 model year altogether.

Whatever the reason for the leap to 2017, the refreshed Mirage is now available in the Philippines, looking more stylish, more assertive, and performing better.

But let’s get one thing straight. The Mirage is a city car, a fuel-sipping, budget-priced mini subcompact designed primarily for urban use.

It wouldn’t be suitable for long distance, cross-country trips unless you are willing to sacrifice riding comfort.

Despite its small size and limited horsepower, however, the 2017 Mirage has several features usually found only in higher-priced cars, features that give it an edge over its competitors.

LED lights

For one, the GLS variant is now equipped with bi-xenon HID projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights (DRLs), and LED taillights.

Smart keyless entry with start/stop push-button (curiously, located on the left side of the dash) is retained from the outgoing model.

The top-of-the-line GLS rolls on stylish 15-inch two-tone alloy wheels shod with 175/55 R15 tires.

It has a new rear spoiler that reduces the coefficient of drag to 0.27.

A NEW rear spoiler, new LED taillights, and a new rear bumper

Moreover, its new stylized lower grille, new bumpers, new hood and lower body treatments plus the HID projector headlights, LED DRLs, and new LED taillights have transformed the Mirage from a homely also-ran to an outstandingly attractive mini subcompact.

The improvements continue inside with a redesigned steering wheel (three-spoke leather-wrapped, with chrome and gloss black accent), a new gauge cluster, a spiffier gearshift panel, and a nicer seat fabric.

The 2017 Mirage not only looks better, it performs better.

Upgraded power

The 1.2-liter, three-cylinder inline, 12-valve, twin cam gasoline engine with Mivec (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system) mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in the GLS variant has upgraded to 78 ps while max torque hits 100 Newton meters at 4,000 revolutions per minute.

WITH the second row folded, cargo room increases from 12.2 to 47 cubic feet.

Increasing power to 78 ps from the previous 74 was made possible by new variable valve timing and a roller-type camshaft.

On the highway, acceleration at first seems sluggish, but I discovered that once the Mirage hits its stride, it can do 150 kilometers per hour.

Of course, pushing the tiny three-cylinder engine that hard on the highway produces a lot of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness)—which goes to prove that the Mirage is more suited for city driving.

Around town, the Mirage is easy to maneuver and park due to its size, electronic power steering, light weight, and best-in-class turning radius. It is perfect for running errands, and driving to work or school, the supermarket, gym or the shopping mall, among a myriad urban destinations.

The stopping performance of the Mirage has been noticeably improved with bigger diameter brake discs in front and increased brake drums at the rear plus a new kind of brake pad material.

Driveability

The upgraded braking performance together with a retuned suspension (MacPherson strut with coil spring and stabilizer in front and torsion beam at the rear) contributes to better driveability.

INSIDE, a redesigned steering wheel, new gauge cluster, improved shift panel and new seat fabric

Mitsubishi claims that it has improved handling and stability by optimizing the spring rate and damping force of the shock absorbers while adding stiffness to the front end.

Inside the upscale cockpit, the driver’s seating position is fine with good visibility all around and 41.7 inches of legroom up front.

GPS navigation is optional. What’s standard equipment is a 6.5-inch LCD touchscreen with a 2-DIN single in-dash tuner/DVD and MP3/iPod-ready player, aux-in, SD card, USB port, and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Mirage is marketed as a five-seater, but squeezing three adults into the backseat isn’t recommended despite 34 inches of legroom at the rear.

The Mirage hatchback offers more headroom for backseat passengers due to a roofline that is taller than the Mirage G4 sedan’s.

Versatile

For that matter, the liftgate of the Mirage GLS versus the G4 sedan’s trunk makes for a more usable and versatile cargo area.

With the backseat up, cargo capacity is only 12.2 cubic feet.  But fold down the 60/40 split/fold backseat, and cargo space increases to 47 cubic feet.

Among mini subcompact cars, the 2017 Mirage is a winner in terms of active and passive safety features. Fitted with driver and front passenger airbags, three-point ELR seatbelts fore and aft, antilock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), emergency stop signal and brake override system, the Mirage GLS won the Asean New Car Assessment Program Grand Prix Award for adult occupancy protection in the minicar category.

THE 1.2-LITER, three-cylinder Mivec engine has upgraded to 78 ps.

Best of all, Mitsubishi claims that the 2017 Mirage gets 18.7 kilometers per liter. That claim will be verified when the Department of Energy and Petron Corp. announce the results of the fuel economy run they conducted last week with 70 motor vehicles from over 20 automakers and distributors participating.

Bottom line, the 2017 Mirage GLS CVT’s outstanding gasoline mileage, high safety rating,  driveability, practicality, stylish exterior and interior redesign, cutting-edge infotainment, and connectivity make it worth its P713,000 retail price.

The Mirage is easy to like because it is a refreshingly simple, light, inexpensive (entry-level GLX MT sells for P553,000) little car that gets the job done and does not pretend what it isn’t.