28^th November 2008

NEXT GENERATION COLT 

The newly launched next generation Colt comes closer to its sharp Lancer sibling with a thoroughly refreshed interior and exterior design. The shift to this new look is very neatly blended in Colt’s overall design. Trading the MPV-like high stance of its predecessor for one that is lower and wider, the first thing you notice about the new Colt is the very striking front end, characterized by the  “Jet Fighter” grille.

The same goes for the muscular contours of the front fenders and the complementing new headlamps, all of which contribute to a stronger on-road presence as well as an improved level of pedestrian safety.

There’s a new rear end design for the 5-door body, which adds character whilst visually lowering and widening the car considerably. Changes at the rear of the distinctive 3-door body consist essentially of a new bumper and new lamp housings. New wheels complement the exterior design while on the inside, there’s a brand new look. Prices for the new Colt range start at €13,450 with annual road tax from €156.

EXPECTATIONS

The next generation Colt is the direct successor to the car that established Mitsubishi firmly on the B-segment map from July 2004.

267,000 units later, Mitsubishi Motors is capitalising on this success with a grown-up – but still distinctive – product. The new Colt is more:

• In line with the brand’s identity - sharper new design & signature “Jet Fighter” grille.
• Consistent - less distinction between 3 and 5 door variants.
• Mature - cargo flexibility, comfort features, and driving dynamics.

Thoroughly re-designed and re-engineered with only 35% carry-over components compared to the previous generation Colt, the new junior Mitsubishi is ready to fight in a highly competitive sector of the European market where a string of new/renewed entries tends to crowd a stable volume of 4,000,000+ units/year.

Together with Lancer, it will allow Mitsubishi Motors to expand its market coverage from 30% currently to 50% and achieve volume sales ± 65,000 a year (average over life-cycle), with a 60% conquest target rate.

In Ireland, annual volume sales for Colt are projected at 650 in 2009 with a 70/30 split between 5-door and 3-door, with 90% of those sales being 1.1L variants.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

Designed at Mitsubishi Design Europe, the new Colt combines the roominess & flexibility of previous Colt and the sportiness of the new Lancer. It’s lower, wider, sharper and more aerodynamic.

Exterior Dimensions:

• 2004 Colt:  387cm (5-door), 381cm (3-door).
• 2009 Colt:  394cm (5-door), 398cm (3-door).

Improved Utility:

• Adjustable cargo floor height;
• Full flat floor replacing the previous removable rear seats.
• Increased cargo volume from 854L for the previous Colt to 1,032L.

Improved Safety:

• New front end (structure and design) for better pedestrian protection

The NVH (Noise Vibration & Harshness) levels have been improved and are better than many of the competition in terms of the reduction of engine acceleration noise and the increase of sound isolation and absorption feeling.

DESIGN

Re-capturing the true spirit of the brand, the all-new Lancer family set new standards for Mitsubishi design language - not to mention a new visual identity that is now extended to the B-Segment with the introduction of the next generation Colt. 

A Europe-only product, the 2009 Colt is the brainchild of Mitsubishi Design Europe, directed by Masaki Matsuhara, under the leadership of Mitsubishi’s global Head of Design, Akinori Nakanishi.

This partnership brings together two talents that led to some remarkable products, the latest being the all-new Lancer Evolution, developed by Matsuhara-san’s team.

EXTERIOR DESIGN

As the junior of a Mitsubishi family rich with a great sporting heritage, the next generation Colt introduces a thoroughly revised exterior design.

Trading the MPV-like high stance of its predecessor for a lower and wider attitude, it first strikes with the adoption of a rather in-your-face full “Jet Fighter” grille together with all-new body panels (and structure) for the A-pillar.

Notwithstanding, the shift to this bold new visual identity is very neatly blended in Colt’s overall design concept. In particular the combined inverted slanted grille + fast (27°) windshield contrast with the vertical tail, for an even more pronounced effect.

The same goes for the contours of the front fenders and the complementing chamfered “samourai-like” new headlamps, all inspired by the Lancer and all contributing to a stronger on-road presence, but also to an improved level of pedestrian safety. In parallel, aerodynamics have also been carefully honed during wind tunnel testing

The side view offers a more elongated window line thanks to black sash foils applied on the C and D pillars (D pillar only for 5-door body) and blacked-out lower sills.

A new rear end design for the 5-door body (wrap-around and slimmer back-light, lower & wider rear combination lamps, new liftgate stamping) adds character whilst visually lowering and widening the car considerably.

Changes at the rear of the distinctive and lower 3-door body consist of a new bumper and new lamp housings.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Using the same basic design and components, Mitsubishi Design Europe’s Color & Trim specialist chose a subtler “Quadrat” graining for the black upper padding of the dashboard together with higher quality seat material.

This trim dresses up a revamped dashboard where numerous elements are now shared with the Lancer. The instrument panel itself is also completely redesigned.

Fulfilling the dual purpose of improved ergonomics and more mature/substantial feeling, the audio and A/C controls are also new. Along those lines, the digital information display has been moved from the top of the dashboard – which now houses a tray - to the instrument panel between the speedometer and the tachometer.

Last but not least, the overall youthful feeling of the previous Colt provided by light blue translucent elements has been toned down using a combination of dark and silver finish instead.

DYNAMICS 

Drivetrain:

The next generation Colt continues to offer a full range of Mitsubishi-designed petrol engines, similar the ones found in the previous car. In the Irish market, the 1.1L and1.3L petrol engines will both be available.

Highlights for these engines include:

• Light-weight: aluminum cylinder block, resin intake manifold & cylinder head cover.
• Compactness: Narrow valve angle cylinder head, direct-acting valve train, timing chain train, and integrated accessory parts on cylinder block.
• High output: DOHC, 4-valve per cylinder, MIVEC variable valve timing system (4 cylinder engines), high flow intake port, equal port length exhaust manifold.
• Low fuel consumption: low friction main moving parts, anti-knocking combustion chamber, shallow water jacket, electronic throttle valve, MIVEC variable valve timing system (4 cylinder engines).

The 6-speed “AllShift™” automated manual transmission remains available with the 1.3L engine. This AMT gives Colt customers the benefits of no-shifting operation (including the very handy creep function, normally reserved to automatics) at a much lower cost than a full automatic gearbox and with better fuel economy.

SAFETY

Like its predecessor, the next generation Colt continues to offer a high level of passive safety, through the adoption of several important features such as:

• Straight frame with octagonal section for better energy absorption.
• Mitsubishi’s patented “RISE” structure for interactive load absorption between selected key structural elements.
• Driver and passenger airbags.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY:

• New engine hood that mitigates head injuries to pedestrians by providing sufficient space between the bonnet and the engine and by optimizing deformation through load distribution on the hood panel.
• New energy-absorbing hinges that reduce deformation load in order to mitigate head injuries by providing enough space between the hinge arm and the frame to allow rotation of the hinge-arm in case of a head impact in the hinge area.
• New energy absorbing deck garnish that reduces deformation load in order to mitigate head injuries through the deformation of the deck garnish located at the base of the windshield in case of a head impact in the rear area of the hood.
• New energy absorbing front bumper that mitigates knee ligament and tibia injuries through balanced energy absorption using 3 energy absorbers placed in the front bumper area, including an energy absorbing form at the front end of the cross-member and a plastic plate in the lower area of the front bumper.
• New energy absorbing headlamps, which mitigate knee ligament and tibia injuries by breaking the fixing point of the headlamp in case of leg impact in this area.
• Low-mounted wiper layout, which help to prevent head impact on the wiper pivot.

INTERIOR SPACE

The next generation Colt makes better use of its vast interior space with increased flexibility:

New flat floor with 40/60 split rear seats that have been re-engineered to offer more load space through a simpler operation.

Adjustable cargo floor height that contributes to the full flat floor effect and creates 50 dm3 of storage underneath.

All in all, these changes lead to a significantly increased cargo volume:

Colt also grows with the introduction of new comfort and personal safety features such as:

Gear shift Indicator: located in the digital information display, this device aims to encourage fuel e efficient driving behavior by indicating optimized gear shifting points to the driver.

Revised A/C system: thoroughly redesigned, the air conditioning system now offers new functionalities such as refrigerant leak detection and automatic fresh / recirculation control to ensure good cooling performance

Revised Audio system: featuring speed compensated volume (SCV) function and AUX plug in audio unit supporting i-pod/MP3 systems.

THE IRISH MARKET

The new Colt range goes on sale at Dealerships throughout Ireland on November 17^th 2008. Mitsubishi Motors Ireland expects to sell 650 units in 2009. Sales will be split 70/30 in favor of the 5-door model with 1.1L variants expected to account for 90% of all sales.

Commenting on the new Colt, Robert Guy (Sales Manager, Mitsubishi Motors Ireland) said: “With current market conditions and the shift towards smaller more environmentally friendly cars, the new Colt range is coming on stream at just the right time in Ireland. We’ve worked hard to put together a package that provides customers with excellent standard specification at a competitive price. This coupled with significant design improvements, in what has always been a very economical vehicle, delivers a car that we hope will make the shopping list of many Irish motorists.”

MODEL LINE-UP & PRICING:

The Colt range will be available from launch in a 1.1L and 1.3L petrol engine with one extremely well equipped model.

1.1L variants are expected to account for 90% of all Colt sales. A 1.3L automatic option will be available from late January 2009 with the 3-door priced at €14,14,555 and the 5-door at €15,057. A 3-door Ralliart version with a 1.5L turbo engine and priced at €21,584 will also be available from January onwards.

SPECIFICATION:

The Colt will come in one well-equipped model that will have the following as standard

• 15” alloy wheels.
• Audio remote control.
• Leather steering wheel.
• Electric and heated door mirrors.
• Front fog lamps.
• MP3 connectivity.
• Electric front windows.
• Emergency stop signal system.

SERVICING & WARRANTY

Service intervals for the new Lancer stand at 15,000km while all models are covered by Mitsubishi’s 3 year/100,000km and 3-year pan-European home and roadside assistance, the Mitsubishi Assistance Package (MAP).

– Ends –

Full details including photography are available on the Mitsubishi Motors Ireland press website: www.mitsubishimotorspress.ie.

For further Information or photography, contact: Gavin Flood, Marketing Manager, ph: 01 4192307, mob: 087 263 5045, Email: gavin.flood@mitsubishi-motors.ie.

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