I belong to a classic car club, and at a recent meeting some of us were discussing where we would begin if were we rebuilding a car from scratch. With which part would we begin the build?
Someone said the chassis, another the back axle. I suggested the head gasket, which earned me a trip to the bar. When Mitsubishi decided to rebuild the quietly successful Colt for 2009, it could be argued that the company began with the doors, which were one of the few components that were carried over to the new model.
'The long, sculptured doors remain from the previous Colt', explains the press briefing, adding that they offer "...easy access and comfort to its passengers." This is certainly true of the 3-door model I tested, where the large doors allowed the rear seats to be accessed without a great deal of effort.
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the Jet Fighter nose hints at a hidden alter ego |
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I start my report with this rather mundane comment because it rather typifies the general character of the car: it appears to have been designed (or rather, redesigned) with the purpose of pleasing the kind of buyer who places comfort and convenience and rational values above any form of emotional dividend. It's as if Mitsubishi consulted a focus group comprising entirely of late-middle-aged couples who in their entire life had never aspired to own anything but a 'nice little car'.
A wise move: the supermini market draws many of its customers from such people, and pleasing the over-50s makes sound commercial sense. Yet there is also the young-driver market, seemingly hooked on Fiestas, Corsas and Clios, to whom Colt is not a familiar name. Mitsubishi, yes - everyone wants an Evo - but I doubt if many would associate the Subaru-bashing Evo with the demure little Colt.
Perhaps that is about to change. As part of their re-modelling programme, Mitsubishi has seen fit to titivate the little Colt with what it calls the 'Jet Fighter' grille, a signature touch that identifies the marque as surely as Audi's new ram-raider grille.
Although scaled down, and robbed of its menace by the number plate, it nonetheless seems a little incongruous on a car that otherwise remains extremely conservative. Yet oddly enough, the Jet Fighter nose hints at a hidden alter ego: the eco-friendly engine of the ClearTec model (as tested) is surprisingly young-at-heart, and delivers an unexpected turn of speed.
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