MITSUBISHI MIRAGE/SPACE STAR AT A GLANCE

MODEL

A not so new city car adorned with some makeup to bring it closer to the competition in the subcompact hatchback class. In fact, this is the second facelift the Mirage has undergone. We put this car through its paces to see if it holds up or falls apart at the seams against segment rivals such as Hyundai’s i10, Honda’s Jazz/Fit and Mazda2 – as the platform has been around since 2012.

FUEL

27 km/litre from the 1-litre while the 1.2-litre NA returns around 18 km/litre.

POWER

67 bhp from the 1-litre petrol and 76 bhp from the 1.2-litre petrol engine.

TRANSMISSION

Five-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT) automatic.

DRIVE

Front-wheel driven

ENGINES

Depending on where you are located, there are two petrol engine choices. The first is a 1-litre DOHC (double overhead cam) 3-cylinder naturally aspirated (NA) engine with MIVEC (Mitsubishi’s term for variable valve timing).

The more common engine in Asia is the 1.2-litre DOHC 3-cylinder NA with MIVEC. No diesels or hybrids have been added as it’s equipped with a frugal petrol engine.

VERDICT

Let’s keep in mind that the purpose of this car, apart from being a compact city runabout, is that it’s an entry point for a buyer who is on a very tight budget. And with that in mind, it achieves its objective. Let’s also keep in mind that low budget does not resonate with power, luxury materials or cutting-edge design.

All of that being considered, you may find the no-frills Mirage to be what you’re after.