Mitsubishi Colt debuts for Euro market with a hybrid powertrain

If you’ve lived through the 1970s, then you probably heard about the Mitsubishi Mirage Colt. For those not in the know though, it's an old nameplate for a subcompact car that can be described as the current Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback’s ancestor. As time went on, however, it was made available in fewer markets and was subsequently discontinued globally by the Japanese brand in 2008. 

The 2023 Mitsubishi Colt

Fast forward to 2023, and the Mitsubishi Colt is back. This time around, it’s a badge-engineered version of the Renault Clio, another fellow product under the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. The new Colt is then set to be built and sold in Europe this coming September. 

So how does the new Colt look? Well, the front of the revived nameplate opts for an assertive-looking front end that appears busier compared to the car it’s based on. For starters, it bears a new version of the Mitsubishi Dynamic Shield grille which is then flanked by segmented LED daytime running lamps. Topping up the front of the car is a clamshell hood.

Its rear looks similar to the Clio's

From the side, the Colt bears a similar silhouette as the Clio. This is thanks to its widened rear quarter section. The rear likewise gets the exact same J-shaped taillight design as the French-made hatch. 

The new car’s interior likewise gets the same look as the Renault model. It comes with the same short center console, an identical gear shifter position, an identical air-conditioning knob control arrangement, and a similar-looking two-tiered angled dashboard. It does have a different-looking steering wheel, plus the French flag that’s present on the Clio’s passenger-side dashboard section was removed on the Colt. 

A peek inside Mitsubishi's new hatch

For features, the top-spec Colt trim gets a 9.3-inch display that’s paired with a Bose nine-piece speaker set and a subwoofer. The driver then gets a seven-inch or 10-inch digital gauge cluster depending on the variant. 

Safety for this small car is then handled by a number of advanced driver-assistive features. This includes adaptive cruise control, a lane departure prevention system, forward collision mitigation, rear-cross traffic alert, blind spot warning, auto high beams, etc. 

It will be built and sold in Europe

There are three available powertrain and transmission options for the Mitsubishi-made subcompact hatch. This includes a 1.6-liter hybrid engine (HEV) and a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine that are both paired with a six-speed transmission, and a 1.0-liter version that uses a five-speed manual gearbox. 

The 1.6-liter HEV uses two electric motors. One is an alternator starter, while the other is the car’s main motor. Power is then stored by a 1.2 kWh battery, and it can make a combined output of 141 horsepower. The 1.0-liter turbo meanwhile, can generate 66 horsepower, while the non-turbo 1.0-liter mill can make up to 90 horsepower. 

Will it makes sense for the Japanese brand to bring this model to the Philippines?

So what do you think of the all-new Mitsubishi Colt? Would you like to see it on Philippine shores as well?

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