Car Review Search
Mitsubishi i-car
Car Review
Mitsubishi I-Car
The Mitsubishi i-Car may be minute but it still has space for four while its size ensures running costs should be kept in check. However it is relatively expensive to buy and is a little disappointing to drive.
Mitsubishi i-Car Car Review Summary
The Mitsubishi i-Car is a reminder of days long gone when most small city cars in Europe were rear-engined and rear-wheel driven.
Mitsubishi has gone back to the idea - originally used to save space and aid grip - because of Japan’s city car restrictions and as such the iCar’s appeal to the British market will have to rely on its unique appearance and style.
The i-Car is powered by a turbocharged 57bhp 660cc petrol unit allied to a four-speed automatic gearbox. Performance is fine in the urban jungle where it is nippy when the lights go green, but on the open road the accelerator will need to remain wide open to maintain a decent speed.
Practicality
The Mitsubishi i-Car is shorter than a Mini, yet it is surprisingly spacious. The iCar maximises cabin space by adding height making it minivan-tall. Although it is a short car, the wheelbase is relatively long as the rear-mounted engine allows for a wheel-at-each-corner stance. This clever design allows the iCar to seat four adults with luggage room to spare although the boot is not as big as it could be as the engine sits below it. Rear seats that split and fold to provide a flat load bay help to create more space when required.
There are cupholders and cubbyholes up front, plus a storage box accessed via a hidden hatch above the glovebox that provides a neat space to tuck away valuables from prying eyes.
The dashboard is simple and well laid out with controls that are easy to use. The driver’s seat is adjustable, but the steering wheel is not so it may be difficult for some to find a comfortable set up. The driving position is higher than in most other city cars so visibility is good.
The iCar’s cabin plastics are hard to the touch, but aren’t disastrously nasty for a city car - while a leather covering for the steering wheel and gearknob means the bits used most have a quality feel.
Fuel economy is pretty decent and the iCar is in a low road tax banding.
Mitsubishi i-car
Life Style
The Mitsubishi i-Car is definitely for those who like making an instant visual impression. The science fiction styling catches the eye as do some of the lively colours that can be chosen for the exterior. Basically it is a pretty, fun, funky, cult city car which Mitsubishi hope will carve a niche in the market. Many see the iCar’s design with its overarching bumper-to-bumper lines as the future of automotive design – that remains to be seen.
The iCar is lithe with a turning circle a jet fighter would be proud of which allied to light steering make it the ideal urban runaround.
Take it on the motorway though and things aren’t so rosy as large lorries and any sort of wind disrupt the car at speed.
The i-Car is not the most refined of beasts as a lot of road and wind noise make it into the cabin.
As far as the environment is concerned the engine’s 114g/km CO2 emissions make it one of the lowest polluting cars available in the UK.
Mitsubishi i-car
Security and Safety
Remote central locking is included to deter the criminal element.
The Mitsubishi i-Car is fitted with twin front airbags and anti-lock brakes. There’s also electronic brakeforce distribution to help prevent skids if you brake and turn the steering wheel. Side and curtain airbags, and electronic stability control are not offered even as options.
The Finishing Touches
The Mitsubishi i-Car is offered in just one trim, but it includes a lot of kit such as climate control, electric windows and door mirrors, central locking and a CD player fitted as standard. Alloy wheels are also thrown in while satellite navigation and a Bluetooth hands-free phone kit are on the options list.
