Mitsubishi unboxes the Mirage G4

MANILA, Philippines - Christmas has come early for the folks at Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC)—and maybe for a number of people on the lookout for their first (or even next) vehicle. MMPC has kept its promise and, with it, the local subcompact car segment has just gotten even more competitive.

Indeed, you can’t have too much of a good thing. For Mitsubishi, it’s the successful Mirage badge. The incredible reception of the subcompact hatch about a year ago helped to brighten the fortunes of MMPC to the tune of a staggering 560 percent growth in passenger car sales (as of September, year on year).

Dubbed in some territories rather uncomfortably as Attrage (ah-traj), the Mirage’s sedan variant has been renamed G4 locally. This, according to MMPC president and CEO Hikosaburo Shibata in a speech at the car’s recent launch, means “global four-door sedan,” and is Mitsubishi’s elegant response “to address the increasing demand in both mature and emerging markets worldwide for affordable, fuel-efficient, and low-emission passenger cars.”

At the launch event at the SMX Aura Convention Center, where Mitsubishi also announced a donation of P500,000 towards the Philippine National Red Cross efforts to assist victims of the recent Central Visayas quake, Mitsubishi executives, guests, and the media were treated to a unique 3D mapping presentation to highlight the features of the G4.

MMPC obviously has high hopes for the G4 which, said Shibata, should “build on the strong market acceptance of the Mirage hatchback.” He continued that the Mirage is now the number-three subcompact car in the market, and that “with the Mitsubishi Mirage G4, (MMPC) expects to continue to climb up the ladder and soon challenge the market leaders in the passenger car segment.”

MMPC vice president for marketing services Froilan Dytianquin said as much, insisting the G4 will be “a very important car” in the Mitsubishi stable, and is expected to “give other cars a run for their money.”

Four main selling propositions distinguish the G4, said Dytianquin: design, space, and practical utility; performance and ecology; maneuverability; and high value for money.

Tested by a number of Philippine motoring media sometime ago at the Bonanza International Speedway in Khao Yai, Nakorn Ratchasima, Thailand, the G4 proved extremely capable even as it is powered by the same 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine of the hatchback. Its DOHC MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) gasoline engine is good for 78ps and 100Nm – and a claimed best of 21 kilometers per liter of fuel. You might want to try for this number, aided along by an eco-driving indicator lamp.

The 450-liter trunk, itself surely a crucial selling point, is capable of swallowing three golf bags, and gives the Mirage G4 a true sedan’s profile. As with the hatch, MMPC says the G4 offers ample legroom while seating five adults.

The turning radius for the electronically-assisted steering measures a class-best 4.8 meters—doubtless great for tight parking and constricted streets. Additionally, MMPC boasts that the G4 presents “innovative, class-leading amenities” such as keyless operation, engine push start, full auto climate control, dual airbags, and more—underpinned by a five-year, 100,000-kilometer warranty.

“We are confident that the Mirage G4 will be a popular and practical choice among buyers looking for a spacious, value-packed, and fuel-efficient subcompact car without breaking their budget,” concluded Dytianquin.

The all-new Mirage G4 comes in four variants: GLX MT (P578,000), GLX CVT (P628,000), GLS MT  (P668,000), and GLS CVT (P712,000). The GLS variant comes in colors: Medium Blue Mica, Pyrenese Black, Savanna White, Majestic Red, Gemstone Grey Mica, and Cool Silver. The GLX is available in Majestic Red, Gemstone Grey Mica, Cool Silver and Aurora White.