MITSUBISHI

New Mitsubishi Mirage to be based on the Renault Clio
According to the "Drive For Growth" plan, Mitsubishi will launch 11 new models. 6 of them will be totally new models, while the remaining 5 will be renovations of existing vehicles. One of the projects under development concerns the update of the Mirage hatchback, with a view to the European market.It was reported that the new Mirage will be based on the next generation of the Renault Clio, scheduled for 2018. The French subcompact will undergo significant changes, will adopt a new platform, the same as the next Mitsubishi Mirage.

Considering that the Renault-Nissan Alliance owns 34% of Mitsubishi, this is a rational decision. It would be too costly to develop a specific Mirage platform and given the low B-segment profit margins, the investment would not pay off. Using the same platform as the Renault Clio, Mitsubishi reduces production costs and accelerates the whole process related to the development and production of the vehicle.Initially the new Mirage will be equipped with a turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine, it will likely be the 0.9-liter TCe available on a variety of Renault and Dacia models, the Nissan Micra and the Smart ForTwo and ForFour. A senior Mitsubishi official said a fully electric version is planned at a later stage of the production cycle.The next generation Mitsubishi Mirage is expected to be launched before the end of the decade, after the launch of the new Renault Clio.

Vasco Reis, de Portugal