Mitsubishi Colt
Plus
Mitsubishi's
evergreen Colt gets longer and more refined with its new
'Plus' moniker
What's
New?
Like the new Suzuki Swift, tested elsewhere in this issue
of The Highway, the new Colt Plus has dramatically transformed
itself over the years from a smaller, focused, sports-oriented
two door hatch into a sensible MPV for the extended and
rather grown-up family.
The
Colt name - first born in 1962 as the 600 -is best known
in Singapore for the sporty two door hatch version of the
mid-90s which also went on to provide the underpinnings
for Proton's not dissimilar-looking Satria.
It
was all change for Colt with the introduction of the new
MPV-saloon crossover look in in Singapore in 2003. Now the
second generation of this style gets a makeover in the styling
department with more curvaceous lines, smoother, but less
aggressive-looking headlights than before, and most noticeably,
30cms longer boot space.
The
trade-off is that the compact, athletic look of the previous
model has been compromised somewhat by the elongated rear
panel. The other new addition is an extremely handy automatic
tailgate which is the first in its class to be found on
the Colt Plus. Just press a button twice on the electronic
key fob and the tail light indicators flash in advance of
the tailgate lifting silently and progressively up. Another
double press of the button and down it glides again. Very
007, and bound to impress the neighbours who have spent
money on a more expensive Mercedes-Benz that doesn't do
this. There is also a separate 'close' button for the tailgate
at the bottom of it and a discreet power switch hidden under
the driver's seat also deactivates the auto tailgate to
prevent others lifting it with the key fob.
How
It Performs
Horsepower is up on the previous unit from 98bhp to 105bhp
courtesy of a refined 1.5-litre MIVEC four-cylinder powerplant.
It is connected to a Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT)
automatic gearbox which has become more refined since its
introduction on the Mitsubishi Lancer. You soon become accustomed
to racing engine revs that are not compatible with the initial
road-speed - it's a CVT trait. The cabin is well insulated
although engine roar does tend to permeate on kick-down
for hard acceleration but it is not offensive to the ears.
Shifting to six-speed 'Sports' mode sees the engine revs
step up by another 1000rpm for brisk overtaking.
Handling
has been well honed as a compromise between a sporty drive
and something that can scoop up miles of smooth of Malaysian
expressway and undulating country roads with relative ease.
The suspension is pliant enough for putting you in the comfort
zone for longer jaunts, but it also stiffens up nicely for
sweeping and medium sized bends at speed. However, the more
softly sprung nature of the Colt Plus becomes apparent when
negotiating tighter bends at speed. While Colt Plus has
become a medium-sized MPV that has its limitations, it is
still one of the more sporty drives in its class.
How
It Stacks Up
The Colt has transformed from a warm hatch to a people mover
that now has great storage space (a false bottom in the
rear can be removed to liberate even more depth for big
suitcases etc) and a very well screwed together cabin with
a central binnacle that is clean, un-fussed and intuitive
controls. It does well as a city-hopper and the 1.5 engine
has the legs for much longer journeys. At the price, it
undercuts the equally competent Opel Meriva by nearly $10k
and has an arguably better finish inside. Singapore's top
seller in this class, the Hyundai Matrix, is still some
10k cheaper, which explains why it has been such a hit,
but if you appreciate the better cabin-quality of the Colt
Plus, it is going to be worth the extra investment to you.
| Technical Specifications |
|
MODEL
Mitsubishi Colt Plus
ENGINE
Engine: 1499cc 16v in-line four
Max Power: 105bhp at 6000 rpm
Max Torque: 141Nm at 4000 rpm
TOP SPEED
180 kmh
0-100km/h
11.2s
|
