Mitsubishi Mirage Hello Kitty is Oh, So Tacky

Granted; Mitsubishi's official Mirage Hello Kitty Edition isn't half as bad as this feline-customized Ferrari 360 Modena or Smart's ForTwo versions dedicated to the Japanese character, but still, it doesn't mean we have to like it or, God forbid, want it…

Offered on the occasion of the character's 40th anniversary, the Hello Kitty edition of the Japanese city car comes in pink shade, of course, with cat emblems and hub-caps on the outside, and special seats and a pillow inside, among other features.

Mitsubishi said it will produce 400 examples of the car in Japan, with each unit priced at 116,970 yen, which comes to around US$11,900 or €8,700 at the current exchange rates.

Story References: Mitsubishi Autoblog.com

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Mitsubishi Pondering Mirage Sedan for the USA, Possibly with Turbo Engine

When people hear the words "Mitsubishi sedan" and "Turbo" in the same sentence, the first thing that comes to mind is the Lancer EVO, but there's nothing "EVO" about this story…

While Mitsubishi's new low cost, Asian-made Mirage hatchback has yet to go on sale in the States (it will, later this fall with prices starting from $12,995), company officials are already mulling their next move, which entails the addition of a sedan version of the car based on the existing model already sold in Thailand and the Philippines as the Attrage and Mirage G4 respectively.

"We have to first watch how the Mirage is received in America. Is it selling well?" Mitsunori Kitao, COO of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Co., told Autonews.

However, the five-door hatchback is powered by a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline unit delivering a lukewarm 74hp and 74 lb.-ft. of torque, which may prove inadequate for the sedan version in the States.

"U.S. people might require more acceleration. So we are not sure if it has marketability or not," said Ryujiro Kobashi, Mitsubishi North America general manager for marketing and global small-car projects. "Perception is very important, even though the market is moving toward downsizing."

The report says the company could address the problem by turbocharging the three-cylinder unit for the North American market.

For the time being, however, Mitsubishi will track the Mirage and see how it goes in hatchback form, with the automaker expecting to sell about 600 units a month or 7,200 cars a year.

Story References: Autonews

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Mitsubishi Thinks it Can Fix U.S. Sales with New Outlander SUV and Mirage Hatch

With the U.S. car market growing 15 percent in November and 14 percent from the beginning of the year, you would expect a mainstream company like Mitsubishi to show at least some gains, but that's not the case.
In fact, the Japanese automaker posted sales of just 3,754 cars in November, down 4 percent from the same month last year, while from January through November, Mitsubishi's has seen its sales shrink by 28 percent to 53,677 cars.
To put it in perspective, Mitsubishi's yearly sales from all five models that remain in its range in the States (Lancer, Galant, Outlander, Outlander Sport and i-MiEV) are roughly a fourth of the Prius sales (216,619 units) and about the same as the number of ES sedans sold by Lexus (48,171) in the country.

Mitsubishi's Mirage of how to Increase its Sales Share in Europe

That Mitsubishi is having a hard time getting its act together in major markets outside of Japan including Europe and North America, is no secret.
At the Paris Motor Show, the Japanese automaker is showing its…new weapon to reverse slumping sales and gain a more solid foothold in the popular supermini segment with the brand-new Mirage.
Mitsubishi says the slogan it came up for the car is "Less is more", and by that, it means the Mirage is smaller (3,710 mm long) but at the same time, lighter (from 845 kg or 1,863 lbs), more fuel efficient (4.0 lt/100km or 70.6 mpg UK) and lower priced (not yet announced) than its rivals, which in theory, include the VW Polo and Fiat Punto.