In 2022, Mitsubishi announced that its budget Mirage hatchback would be getting a Ralliart Edition at some point in 2023 in one of the thinner press releases I’ve seen in recent history. Apart from confirming the model’s existence and telling us the paint scheme, the release made no mention of special equipment and no photos of what such a machine might look like. Naturally, I took a shot in the dark and predicted that the U.S.-market Mirage Ralliart would look like the one Thailand gets. Well, after months of waiting, our Mirage Ralliart is finally here. Time to see if I’m having humble pie for lunch.
Well, the mud flaps are now black, but the American-spec 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage Ralliart appears virtually identical to the global model. This means it gets plastic slabs around the arches, black 15-inch alloy wheels, a graphics package straight out of Need For Speed: Pro Street, and a handful of black accents to zhuzh up the exterior. On the inside, purple-ish upholstery reminiscent of that in early high-spec Mirage models is back, while a smattering of bright red accents bring a little bit of Warped Tour to the cabin. However, that’s where the upgrades stop — no suspension tweaks, big brakes, nor powertrain upgrades here.
It’s easy to dismiss the Mirage Ralliart as a commuter car cosplaying as competition-bred, even if that’s what it largely is. It bears nearly zero resemblance to the Evo X-powered Mirage R5 rally car, cranking out 78 horsepower from a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine roughly the size of the car’s own 12-volt lead acid battery. The only choice for getting that motivation to the wheels is a continuously variable transmission, and the rear brakes are still drums. However, I don’t think the Mirage Ralliart actually needs performance upgrades. [Editor’s Note: Thomas won’t do it, but I will absolutely voice my deep disappointment that the coolest version of the current Mitsubishi Mirage doesn’t come with a stick. It ain’t right! -DT].Â
This isn’t the first time Mitsubishi has made something like this: Remember the Lancer OZ Rally? Here was a fairly basic Lancer with OZ wheels, a body kit, natty black-on-white gauge faces from the Evo VII, and special floor mats. It still put out a pedestrian 120 horsepower, but that didn’t matter because this thing sold and it was memorable. See, many people just want the illusion of performance in an economy car because sports suspension can feel harsh, a bigger engine means bigger fuel bills, and higher performance often comes with higher insurance premiums. Consider time stuck in traffic between sky cube and cubicle, and 120 horsepower does just fine. From the neat wheels to bright optional paints, the Lancer OZ Rally was a spot of sunshine every dreary winter day.
Looking around at the current automotive landscape makes me wonder: When did we stop being allowed to have visually-fun cheap cars? Twenty years ago, the budget car market was in a very different place. You could order a Toyota Echo with flares and skirts, go square with a Scion xB, get a chunky lip kit on a Chevrolet Cavalier, or even get a little bit weird with a Suzuki Aerio. Cheap cars came in yellows and bright blues and conspicuous golds, largely free of premium aspirations but firmly tasked with simply being cars. Sure, that trend of body kits on stock economy cars was a bit stupid, but so was Super Troopers, and I bet you watched it twice.
In a flurry of soft-touch plastics and noise reduction measures, automakers have largely forgotten that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating getting from point A to point B in reasonable comfort and economy with some cosmetic add-ons. Sure, the Mirage corners like an air mattress, but it doesn’t ride badly over pockmarked pavement, gets an honest 40-plus MPG at a 60 mph cruise, and comes with a ten-year / 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. You know what’s really great? A car that works and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
In 2023, the Mitsubishi Mirage’s only sin is that it costs nigh-on as much as a Kia Rio hatchback, and that’s hardly enough to condemn it. After all, if you want the reliability of a brand new car but need to keep the sticker below $20,000, you only have three options — Mirage, Rio, and Nissan Versa. What people choose often comes down to whatever is on the lot.
While its spoiler likely doesn’t provide much downforce and its no more off-road capable than a standard model, the Mirage Ralliart is good because it livens up our roads a touch. It’s a bit of unusual whimsy for the grey, crossover-laden roads of 2023. Although its price tag of $19,550 is on the high side compared to a base Mirage, this loaded-up trim is cheaper than the $20,915 Nissan Versa SR or the $20,615 Kia Rio S Technology Package. Plus, neither of those competitors feel quite as outlandish as a Mitsubishi that looks like a skate shoe.
(Photo credits: Mitsubishi)
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The Mirage has been offed in Oz (along with the Alpine A110 and many others) because it doesn’t comply with side impact engineering requirements. Something about the internal door structure. Anyway it’s dead here.
Funnily enough, the only light cars left in this class is the similarly sized Kia Picanto and the Fiat 500 Abarth. Naturally, the Kia dominates the class and sells very well. Which is unsurprising since it’s a competent, very well equipped (there’s even a go fastish 3 cyl turbo version) car that you can drive out the showroom door for AU$18,000 (less than US$13,000)…
You bring to mind my question about how long it’ll last in the U.S. market. The majority of our vehicles are huge and heavy at this point (who says the ’70s would never return) and regs are designed with them in mind. I’m getting more and more amazed that little guys like this can be strong enough to pass while still being cheap enough to sell.
Another comment, unrelated to my last one.. if Mitsubishi wants to make a cheap car that appeals to enthusiasts they should develop a 4-cylinder, 6-speed, rear wheel drive small car with Nissan. Mitsu can name it the GTO (the original older one), Galant, Colt, whatever… Nissan then has a new B210 on lots too… now you’ve got not only two new Toyobaru competitors but you build the reputation of both brands. I’ll take my payment as one of each car with trunks full of money.
Nissan probably wouldn’t do that considering it may hurt Z sales in their eyes. But if they did go along with it they would Call it a 240SX or Silvia rather than the B210 considering there’s a lot more Silvia fans. Also reviving the Eclipse name would be a better idea than reviving the GTO nameplate considering the last GTO was a 300ZX competitor. I think if they share the development cost with Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault and Alpine all getting a version of the car they could make it happen.
IIRC, Mirage was available with a manual until just a couple of years ago. As long as we’re lamenting lost transmissions, it is also a shame that Mitsu deprecated their own 6-spd torque converter automatic in favor of CVTs across the entire lineup. I think the only exception is the Outlander PHEV, which uses a planetary gearset instead of a true CVT.
(I guess the CVT makes sense on the ICE Outlander — it’s a Nissan engine, so might as well use the Nissan transmission. But their other cars are still using Mitsubishi engines, so why saddle them with CVTs?)
It takes some gall to make a “Rally” edition car and not have a manual be optional at least.
I know it’s cliche at this point and I don’t need the rational counter-argument but this needed a manual transmission. This car is silly, it’s not fooling anyone it’s fast, but it needs that third pedal because the fun of this car would come from running it up to redline EVERY time and slamming gears in it!
They should have done a manual, boosted HP by whatever they could (like 5hp would have been fine) from a little more aggressive cam just to give it something and a better set of shocks and I bet this would get a really good reception.
This would be a cool car for my nine year old daughter…. if nine year olds were allowed to buy new cars….
but I think driving a prius would be more fun…. and I’m not talking about a new Prius. I’m talking about a 2004.
But its a great article cause I sure do miss the days when they sold lots of cars like these.
A very strong reason to go Certified Pre Owned.
My interest is Zero.
If I could, I’d own and rock the crap out of that Mirage.
It’s so dumb I’d laugh the entire time driving it!
As you nervously try to build up enough speed to merge into traffic….
As far as new cars under $20k, well it’s not sticker but Chevy Bolt comes in at $18,500 with tax after federal and local incentives here in central California. If you make under $54k you can recoup the reduced credit with other local incentives and maybe even take a little more off. If you fall in the middle between $54k and $65k congratulations you just lose out though.
Ah yes, just make under 54k and charge it in your $1,099,000 Central California driveway.
another in a long line of Ralliart disappointments. you know what other Mitsubshi really needed a manual to make it perfect, but never got one? the Ralliart Sportback wagon!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXgGUiDnzA
i would have given my arm to drive that brick with a stick. id didn’t even need any more power, just a way to row your own, and it would have been the perfect practical family vehicle. alas, it never got one. instead I stuck with my 2002 Sentra SE-R Spec-V for 13 years, even though a compact sedan wasn’t ideal for my growing family, because it had a 6 speed, tons of low end torque from the NA motor, and chewed up the miles without complaint.
i would have given my arm to drive that brick with a stick
“Time Enough at Last”
That episode had a soul crushing ending.
glad someone caught that!
oh dear
Thomas, what were you doing in the early 2000s? Because when that RalliArt Lancer launched it was not a spot of sunshine, it was a running gag. Anyone who drove one was laughed at. They’d get walked by base model civics.
I don’t remember it that way. Are you thinking of the O.Z. version, because that one was laughable, and a Civic would destroy it. The actual Ralliart one? 162 hp and 0-60 in 7.6 sec, vs Civic at 115 hp and 0-60 in 9.5 sec.
The OZ Rally was definitely just a competitor for the Protege MP3 (and cosmetically-modified Civics), and that Mazda at least made 140 HP.
I’ve only ever ragged on that Lancer for its pointless wing. Otherwise, cheap, cheerful economy-car fare, and fun colors are always good.
Fun side fact: My buddy’s basket-case Galant VR-4 wore wheels from an OZ Rally.
Both, lol. 160hp wasn’t a huge improvement.
I was in high school. Everyone thought they were cool. Absolutely nobody was under the impression that they were fast, they just looked better than an economy grade SOHC civic of the era.
The poor boy changes clothes
And puts on after-shave
To compensate for his ordinary shoes — Paul Simon
I only watched Super Troopers once. The trailer looked funny, but I didn’t get that feeling when watching it. I was even more surprised when they made a sequel I have not seen.
Now if we are talking about Super Snooper, aka Super Fuzz, I have seen that many times when it lived in rotation on HBO/Showtime in the 80’s. I tracked a copy down a few years back and gave it a re-watch. I had completely forgotten Ernest Borgnine was in it. The analog synth laden Rocket Theme from the soundtrack is glorious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SakfNQ0NPoI
The 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage Ralliart: Just As Flaccid As We Expected
Face it, folks. The manual transmission is all-but-dead in this segment. Nissan theoretically offers a stick in the Versa, but last time I looked there were fewer than 100 for sale in the USA. It exists theoretically so Nissan can say they sell the lowest priced car in the country.
The take rate has become so low in the US that manufacturers no longer want to pay the money to certify them with the EPA, etc.
They should have done this 10 years ago, but, better late than never, I suppose. I support it
Yeah, David’s right. Without a manual, my give-a-shit-o-meter doesn’t move on this one.
I really wish we could post GIFs.
Crack pipe. I am happy to choose and apply the stupid sticker content of my choice. So sorry, not sorry. This is Pep Boys level looking crap here.
Not sure about the US but Canada is showing a base spec with a Manual at well under $20k. That leave plenty of money for stickers and wheels of your choice. I expect you won’t find any on the lot and would have to order one in.
I actually like the contrast plastic wheel arch, er, adornment here. They make the comically small wheels look less so, though it’s the sedan where the effect is really egregious/where this is most needed.
I was a
proudowner of a Lancer OZ Rally in all its bright yellow glory, and, I assure you, there was nothing memorable about it.Oh, but at least it did have a manual.
The Mirage R5 Rally is the car I didn’t know I needed…
Hmm. Tired old trope coming in. I wish it had a manual. I like the idea of this for my next car because I’m a major cheap ass.
Right there with you. Wish it had a manual.
For a car like this from an otherwise meh manufacturer, an available manual on the Mirage (across the board) would be a cheap way to impart a little enthusiast street cred in a line otherwise bereft of it.
Sure, Mitsubishi isn’t going to give us another Lancer anytime soon – and by that, I mean even the regular sedan – but giving its already out-of-the-times hatchback a small measure of fun would go a long way toward reminding people like us what Mitsubishi used to make and maybe make it possible to envision what it might make in the future.
Nailed it. If they won’t do a real enthusiast car the least they could do is put a manual on something else.. actually scratch that, they’re already doing the least they can.