Mitsubishi Attrage Test Drive Review

Mitsubishi Motors of today is a very different animal to the company that gave us the Mirage Cyborg and Galant VR4, cars which are still spoken of with reverence by enthusiasts in the present. During those glorious times, Mitsubishi was a name associated with performance and innovation – the company had introduced gasoline direct injection exactly a decade before the Volkswagen Group even coined the TSI acronym.

The Asian financial crisis of the 1990s marked the start of a very turbulent period, in which, to cut a long story short, a lot of money was lost and model development was set back by a good decade or two. The company is back in better shape, but many of its passenger car models have been culled – big cars like the Galant and Aussie-built 380 are history, the Lancer is ambling on the last legs of its model cycle, and the Mirage of today is a 1.2-litre mini-hatchback.

Proportions are reasonably well-balanced for a hatchback-derived sedan.

The company is choosing its battles more wisely these days, focusing its resources on select market areas. A clear demonstration of the its priorities was seen at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, where Mitsubishi launched no less than three concept vehicles all of them, tellingly, being SUVs. Whilst an announced collaboration with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to develop next-generation C- and D-segment sedans indicate a desire to maintain a presence in multiple market segments, it also indicates an unwillingness bet big in saturated segments that Honda and Toyota have so effectively cornered for themselves.

Mitsubishi is obviously stacking a lot of chips on SUVs and pick-up trucks, a segment which it has demonstrated unquestionable prowess with excellent products such as the Triton, Pajero Sport, and Pajero Exceed. Whilst pursuits in the passenger car segments are not totally abandoned, focus is now on eco-friendliness with electric vehicles and low-powered eco cars taking priority. On this backdrop comes the present-day Mirage 1.2 and its sedan derivative, the Attrage – the subject of our review today.

Prices & Variants

Pricing for the Attrage starts at RM60,890 for the manual GL model, and you’ll need to act fast if you want one – Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia is only bringing one shipment of these babies, and once they run out, future batches will only offer the GS and SE spec levels, both fitted with CVTs as standard. There was initial talk of a GL CVT variant, but that was withdrawn even before launch.

Our test car for this review was the GS model, which hits the road at just under RM70,000 with insurance. For the price, it comes with a commendable level of equipment, being fitted with keyless entry, engine start/stop button, automatic climate control, electric side mirror adjust, dual frontal airbags, ABS, and EBD. The range-topping SE model comes at a premium of RM8,000 and adds a full body kit, daytime running lights, leather seats, reverse camera, and a touchscreen audio system. The GS version is adequate for most needs, but the reverse camera builds the SE’s case for the pragmatic buyer.

Kenwood 2-DIN unit fitted in the GS. SE gets touchscreen.

Specifications

Starting point of the Attrage’s development was the Mirage, although the engineering work involved a lot more than just sticking a boot on its tail. The Attrage sits on a bigger footprint than its hatchback progenitor, its wheelbase lengthened by 100mm and wheel tracks widened by 15mm both front and rear. It retains the Mirage’s lightweight construction however, tipping the scales at a mere 905kg in this CVT guise.

The 1.2-litre 3-pot in the engine room is the same unit that powers the Mirage, albeit with outputs raised from 77hp and 100Nm in the original donor car to 79hp and 106Nm enjoyed by the recipient. It is a far cry from the 110hp ball park that most B-segment players enter the field with, but there is virtually no prospect of a bigger-engined version – the vehicle’s platform was designed to accommodate nothing bigger than this 1.2-litre 3-pot and that would have to be good enough.

With the 5-speed manual confirmed for discontinuation, the INVECS-III CVT is set to be the sole transmission on offer with the Attrage. Unlike in many modern CVTs, Mitsubishi did not bother to include any manual overriding functions to the transmission; drivers only have to choose between the regular ‘Drive’ or a heightened engine braking mode (denoted by a ‘B’ slot on the selector gate) to tackle enthusiastic hill descents.

CVT is now standard transmission. Oddment storage on centre console can be improved.

Exterior

At 4,245mm long by 1,670mm wide, the Attrage is some margin smaller than its familiar mainstream rivals, almost all of which boast bigger 1.5-litre engines. It is relatively tall, however, with only the Chevrolet Sonic able to eclipse its 1,515mm overall height. As we have seen with cars like the Mazda2 sedan and Nissan Almera, these proportions are typically the recipe for awkward profiles, but truth is that the Attrage looks surprisingly pleasant and inoffensive, if a little unremarkable, from most angles.

As you would expect for the price, headlamps are not of the projector variety although leveling adjustment is commendably provided. The most obvious indicator of the Attrage’s budget-conscious positioning will be its old-fashioned lift-type door handles that came straight from the 20th century; ditto the 1980s-style ‘pop-out’ metallic key hole found on the front passenger door. Minor concerns, overall.

Lift-type door handles are old fashioned, but no complaints for having keyless entry.

Interior

Benefits of the Attrage’s additional 100mm at the wheelbase are immediately felt from the back seat, where acres of legroom are yours to enjoy. Put that next to its commendable 450 litres of boot space, you’re looking at a vehicle where space is not an issue despite its compact dimensions. Where improvements can be made however, is in the deployment of small item storage along the centre console, although the door pockets and glove box are both adequately sized.

Material selection unsurprisingly reveal budget constraints, but at this price level, we are less concerned about flash and more on fit quality and durability – Mitsubishi did a good job with the former and only time will tell with the latter, although the impression is that the interior plastics will last. There is also little to complaint from an ergonomic standpoint – all control elements are placed within easy reach and clear to see. The absence of steering-mounted controls is somewhat forgivable at this price point, but not exactly ideal in the case of the touchscreen-equipped SE.

Rear leg room will give the Nissan Almera a good run for its money.

Driving Experience

Despite its light weight construction, the Attrage’s modest outputs still translates to a considerable power-to-weight ratio deficit against regular B-segment vehicles. As far as straight line performance is concerned, the engine gives you enough to get by, but cutting through the hustle-and-bustle of urban traffic requires coaxing the little triple up front. To its credit, the engine feels game for the workout, and its deep-voiced thrum at high revs not at all unpleasant to the ears.

Overall refinement of the vehicle borders on the exceptional, especially given the fact that it runs on a three-cylinder powertrain and that it is so light. The powertrain and CVT combine with impressive smoothness, and overall noise levels are low enough for conversations to be carried out without hindrance. In this instance, the Attrage’s slippery aerodynamics have resulted in benefits for both efficiency and wind noise.

Complementing the Attrage’s impressive refinement is a chassis setup that is well-calibrated to deliver on comfort. The softly-sprung suspension does a commendable job in isolating surface harshness, with the inevitable trade-off being increased levels of body roll around corners. Stability at high speeds is surprisingly good, however, as the vehicle tracks steadily all the way up to 120-130kph. Despite its comfort-bias, the chassis generates decent grip around bends, aided by a wonderfully direct steering.

Verdict

Be warned, however, this is not a car for the power crazy. Even with its light weight construction, the Attrage is rather low on its power-to-weight ratio, and it will consequently struggle if you’re coaxing it to keep with faster traffic. Remember that the car is designed for fuel economy, and it is best enjoyed when played to those strengths, driven smooth and unhurriedly.

With the lower-spec GL now eliminated, the Attrage now comes with a very high order of standard kit relative to B-segment rivals. A properly spacious cabin and decent luggage capacity further adds to its case as a credible option for buyers seeking to upgrade from national brands.

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