New cars on show: Mirage, Outlander PHEV, Concept GR-HEV truck, Concept CA-MiEV
Mirage (main image)
You have to be brave to enter the small hatchback class with an all-new product but that’s exactly what Mitsubishi has done.
The Mirage, boasting a claimed average fuel economy of 70mpg and CO2 emissions of 92g/km from its 70bhp 1.0-litre petrol version, does have the stats to make it an attractive prospect.
It’ll also have a 79bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine in the line-up that offers pretty much the same fuel economy and emissions but it’s fractionally faster (the 1.0-litre does 0-62mph in 13.6s and the 1.2 gets there in 11.7s).
It can seat five adults, it has stop/start, a choice of a five-speed manual gearbox or CVT and it only weighs 845kg. It’s arguably a bit dull looking and it has its work cut out to beat the Ford Fiesta, but if Mitsubishi offers it a knock-down price might well be worth a look.
For more information about the Mirage, click here.
Outlander PHEV
Mitsubishi says it is ‘nervously excited’ about the Outlander PHEV. Sales of other plug-in hybrid vehicles have been sluggish, but the company believes their greened-up version of the seven-seat Outlander 4×4 has what it takes to be a hit.
Along with the Volvo V60 PHEV, the Outlander is one of only two plug-in hybrids that can do over 60mph in electric-only mode. In fact the Outlander can travel at more than 75mph without using its internal combustion engine.
Estimated average fuel consumption is nearly 148mpg and ‘range concern’, a headache for most electric car users, shouldn’t be an issue here as the total range (using both engine and electric motor) is 550 miles. With CO2 emissions of only 44g/km at the tailpipe, the BIK rate for company car drivers is an ultra-low five per cent.
Four hours charging from the mains will top up the battery completely, or if you’re short of time just leaving the engine ticking over for 20 minutes will get it up to 80 per cent charge.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but we can expect the Outlander PHEV to arrive before the end of 2013.
For our full review of the Mitsubishi Outlander, click here.
Concept GR-HEV
The Concept GR-HEV is the first electric hybrid one-tonne pick-up truck.
Under the skin is a 2.5-litre diesel engine and an electric motor, which combine to send power to all four wheels via Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) integrated vehicle dynamics control.
All this gubbins means CO2 emissions are 149g/km, which is better than the segment average.
Its curved styling theme provides a few clues as to what an eventual replacement for the L200 pick-up truck could look like.
Concept CA-MiEV
This five-seater concept uses next-generation EV systems, slippery aerodynamics and high density batteries to achieve a driving range of almost 190 miles on one charge. It features wireless charging and can be hooked up with a smartphone to lock and unlock the car remotely, check how much energy it has left and set the onboard temperature. It’s promising, but how well it works in practicality remains to be seen as it’s purely a concept for now.
