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2021 Mitsubishi Mirage and Mirage G4 updated with fresh faces, more tech

Mitsubishi previously teased an update for the Mirage and Mirage G4 for the 2021 model year, and now the new car is here. It amounts to a light refresh, with some minor appearance changes, new tech and a single special edition model. The same 1.2-liter three-cylinder is still under the hood, cranking out 78 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque. Brutally slow, but when paired with the CVT, it’s capable of 36 mpg city, 43 mpg highway and 39 mpg combined. The five-speed manual transmission is still available, but only on the base ES trim. On the design front, the Mirage (hatchback) and Mirage G4 (sedan) get a new grille and front bumper that are meant to be sportier than before. ItÂ’s highly reminiscent of the brandÂ’s crossovers with its upright, shield-like look, and that was intentional, Mitsubishi says. A new rear bumper and lower valance add width to the rear to give it the appearance of being larger than it is. New LED taillights are used on all Mirages, and redesigned LED headlights with LED running lights are available on the top trim. This design treatment does inject some fresh life into the two Mirages, but itÂ’s nowhere close to the full redesign that the Mirage is due for, having been in the same generation since the 2014 model year in the U.S. The interior gains new (supposedly improved) front armrests, more soft-touch cloth in frequently touched areas, and a “carbon fiber effect” on the window switches. On the tech front, Mitsubishi makes the seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard equipment. Also standard is forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection. The top trim level gives you access to lane departure warning and auto high beams as optional equipment. That amounts to more safety features than before, but itÂ’s still a paltry selection compared to most new cars today. As for the special edition Mirage, Mitsubishi calls it the “Carbonite Edition.” Star Wars fans need not apply, though, as there is nothing about it that resembles true carbonite. Instead, it adds “a revised front grille and air dam, side air dam, B-pillar decal and rear air dam with carbon-pattern surfaces and contrasting red accents.” ItÂ’s pairable with six different colors and slots in below the top SE trim but above the mid-grade LE in price. The photos depict the two new colors available for 2021: White Diamond and Sand Yellow. The new going rate for a base Mirage is $15,390, which is $400 more than it was for 2020.

The Mitsubishi Outlander third row has actually been far worse

It's rare for a compact SUV to have a third row, and there's a good reason for that: Few humans can actually fit in such a tiny space. And sure, there are obviously kids, but they usually require some sort of child seat that's not fitting back there, either.  In other words, the use case is as tiny as the seats themselves. No wonder, then, that there are only two three-row compact SUVs: the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan and the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander. While I have yet to witness the Tiguan, the above photo is the result of fitting a 6-foot-3 automotive editor into the Outlander's third row. It ain't pretty. And that's with the middle row pushed all the way forward. Also note that it's just not a matter of legroom — headroom is terrible, too.  Obviously, this is an extreme and ridiculous test. In the end, the need to accommodate the third row almost certainly allows the Outlander to have more cargo space than average (and the mechanically related Nissan Rogue) even if it's presence is also likely the reason it doesn't have as much room as the CR-V, RAV4 and Tucson (more on that coming soon in a luggage test). It's basically a bonus feature, and if you can in fact use it, great! It's also exponentially better than the original Outlander third row. Specifically, the second-generation model that had a shockingly flimsy design that would've been rickety for the 1980s let alone the late 2000s. It consisted of a mesh fabric pulled over a tube steel ring. It was more like a beach chair than something that belonged in a moving vehicle.  Here are two period videos of me demonstrating it in a 2010 Outlander. In the first, I raise the seat, showing how difficult it was to do and how rickety it was once in place. The second video shows the mesh seat bottom.  Video 1: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Video 2: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mitsubishi reportedly plans to spend billions to get back in the game

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors reportedly plans to inject more than 600 billion yen ($5.35 billion) in capital spending and research and development over the next three years through fiscal 2019 in a bid to turn around its business after recent scandals. The Nikkei newspaper said the new plan calls for spending 5 percent of annual sales on equipment and the same proportion on R&D. Funds will be used by the company for the development of electrified vehicles such as the new e-Evolution concept and for production in China and Indonesia. Mitsubishi Motors will release the specifics of the new medium-term plan on Wednesday, the business daily said. ($1 = 112.1600 yen) Reporting by Sumeet Gaikwad Related Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Green Plants/Manufacturing Mitsubishi Technology Emerging Technologies Electric research and development nikkei