Mitsubishi showcased the Mirage hatchback at the 2013 New York Auto Show. The Japanese car maker will put the vehicle on sale in America, but not India – a more natural market for a subcompact hatchback.
The Mirage is powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder gasoline engine which produces 74 HP and 100 Nm, mated to a 5-speed manual or CVT transmission. The 5-door hatchback uses re-enforced impact safety evolution body structure and comes with a host of features including 7 airbags, traction control, active stability control and a 140-watt sound system.
People in the USA don’t like to buy hatchbacks while it’s the exact opposite in India. In the Indian market, more than 70 percent cars sold are small cars. However Mitsubishi doesn’t sell the Mirage hatchback in India, where it sells only SUVs like the Pajero, Montero and Outlander. The company is struggling in India and it is surprising to see them not offer volume products in the Indian market, even after knowing there is demand for it. Do you think Mitsubishi has messed up its product planning in the past few years?
Faisal Ali Khan is the editor of MotorBeam.com, a website covering the automobile industry of India.a
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