Another affordable hatchback hero set to be axed?

Monday, 2 January 2023

The Mirage is one of the last cars sold in New Zealand with a retail price under $20,000.

As we’ve touched on several times recently, it isn’t a great time to be a traditional hatchback, sedan, or wagon, as car brands around the world slowly cull these silhouettes one by one in favour of SUVs.

And, the phenomena’s next victim could be one of New Zealand’s longest serving nameplates.

The current Mirage is undeniably long in the tooth, with its sixth-gen model having been on sale for a decade with only minor updates.

Mitsubishi Japan has confirmed that it is set to phase out the Mirage from its line-up, throwing the future of the model in markets like New Zealand’s into question.

The Mirage is Mitsubishi’s most affordable offering. It’s also the only non-SUV, non-ute platform still sold by the three diamonds down under.

Two cars that cost under $20k new. Which one is t better?

* Which affordable new car represents the best value?

Early Mirages are now affordable classics, especially the early Turbo performance flagship variants.

* Mitsubishi reportedly set to switch to Renault-Nissan platforms

* Three-pot Mirage plays the music for a more colourful drive

Mitsubishi just unveiled its new ASX for Europe, based on the Renault Captur.

Should it be wiped from local sale, the Mirage could join an ever-growing list of hatchbacks to have disappeared from the market in recent times. These range from the Ford Fiesta to non-performance variants of the Hyundai i20.

Once a staple in the Mitsubishi line-up, the Mirage is now only offered in a single trim level (the XLS), priced from $19,990 plus on-road costs.

The Mirage XLS comes with a 1.2-litre petrol engine making 58kW/102Nm. Standard kit includes keyless entry, a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and more.

The current sixth-generation Mirage has been on sale around the world for a decade, making it one of the oldest competitors in its segment.

Stuff has contacted a Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand representative for comment, and will update this story once a response is received. The model is still shown on the company’s website.

The Mirage had already been culled from the brand’s Australian line-up in late 2021, with Mitsubishi Motors Australia saying at the time that this was due to the introduction of new side-impact safety regulations.

The Mirage will continue to be offered in North America, while in Europe it is expected that it will soon be phased out to make way for a new Mitsubishi Colt, set to be based on the Renault Clio.

The Mirage has been sold in New Zealand for more than four decades. Its straight-edge-designed first and second-generation iterations were very popular sellers locally through the 1980s and 1990s.

The third, fourth, and fifth-gen Mirages were also offered in New Zealand, before the company decided to reprise the Colt nameplate in 2002. The Mirage then returned to replace the Colt in 2012.