1991 Mitsubishi Montero Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi previews new Attrage global sedan

It's been about a month since we first saw the Mitsubishi Concept G4 at the Shanghai Motor Show, but now the automaker has revealed the first images for the sedan in production trim. Wearing the Mitsubishi Attrage nameplate, this sedan will go on sale this summer in Thailand and could eventually makes its way to the US. Despite being essentially a sedan version of its subcompact Mirage, Mitsubishi refers to the Attrage as its next-generation global compact sedan, suggesting it's a fair bit larger than its hatchback counterpart.
We only have this single image to go on, but the new Attrage obviously has the same overall look as the Concept G4. As expected, it does lose some of the more conceptual bits, including the fancy headlights, grills and wheels. While the styling has us thinking back to the late 1990s, the true advantage of the Attrage is likely to be its fuel consumption. US fuel economy for the Attrage hasn't been released, but the closely related 2014 Mirage is expected to return 37 miles per gallon in the city and 44 mpg on the highway using the same 1.2-liter inline four-cylinder engine paired with either a five-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. Scroll down for the brief press release for the Thai-built Attrage.

2014 Mitsubishi Mirage to carry $12,995 price tag*

If you've only got about twelve grand to spend on a car and you want something new, you've got options, but not many: You can get a Nissan Versa sedan for $11,900, a base Chevrolet Spark hatchback for $12,170, or - as Mitsubishi has just announced - a 2014 Mirage for $12,995.
Not only does that make it one of the cheapest new cars you can buy, but Mitsubishi also claims it's "the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered non-hybrid vehicle in America," carrying an EPA highway fuel economy rating of 44 miles per gallon. But then that rating is for the CVT model, which will cost you an extra grand over the base five-speed manual version. The bog-standard DE model comes with features including automatic climate control, keyless entry and seven airbags, but for another $1,200 (with either transmission) you can upgrade to ES trim with a whole mess of other features. Regardless of which model you choose, though, you'll have to pay an extra *$725 for delivery ($920 if you live in Alaska or Hawaii), elevating the actual cost of entry to $13,720 in the Lower 48.

Mitsubishi ready to pull Evo's plug

We have all manner of unofficial metrics in the auto industry. No doubt you've heard some of them, like the butt dyno. Another popular measure is the smiles-per-dollar index - how entertaining is a car versus its price. Cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Scion FR-S and Mini Cooper S, for example, score quite highly, while vehicles like the BMW M5 or Audi RS7 are great to drive, but score lower because of their much higher price tags. For a long time, the king of the smiles-per-dollar index was arguably the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, which blended hair-raising thrills for the price of a well-equipped Ford Fusion Titanium.
Now, it looks like the Evo will need to hand over its title, as this generation of the rally-derived rocket is likely to be Mitsubishi's last - at least for a while. There's been no mention of just when production of the current car will end, so if you're in the market, we'd suggest trying to find a dealer with inventory ASAP. The news comes from the automaker's Japanese mothership, which says the brand will instead focus on utility vehicles and EVs. While there are no direct plans for a successor, an Evo XI as it were, the door remains open for a different kind of beast, according to Mitsubishi.
"Mitsubishi Motors does not have any plans to design a successor with the current concept, as a high-performance four-wheel drive gasoline-powered sedan," said Namie Koketsu, a spokesperson for Mitsubishi, according to Automotive News. "Mitsubishi Motors will explore the possibilities of high-performance models that incorporate electric vehicle technology."