Skip advert
Advertisement

Mitsubishi i

Mitsubishi's i is characterful and the Smart that never was. It should meet its sales target...

Mitsubishi i
Evo rating
RRP
from £9,084
  • Great runabout for city-dwellers
  • You can take the car out of the city...

Its name reads like a typographical error, from front-on it looks like a mobile phone, and it has but 660cc to punt it along. But we can’t help rather liking the Mitsubishi i.

The i is a Japanese K-car, the first of the current generation to be officially imported to the UK. Designed primarily for city use, it’s a rival to the Smart ForTwo, except that the i is for four, which makes it even smarter.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Under the floor, just ahead of the rear axle, is a 660cc 3-cylinder turbo engine, which, if you’ve a keen ear and even keener imagination, sounds a little bit like one bank of a 911’s flat-six. It drives the rear wheels through a four-speed auto; keep the throttle pinned and it’ll keep pace with most traffic.

The i is shorter and narrower than a Toyota Aygo, narrower even than a Smart. So what you really want to know is, just how unstable does it feel at speed, and does it feel like it’s going to fall over when you throw it into a corner? With the engine mounted just ahead of the rear axle, it actually has quite a sweet inherent balance, once you get over the sensation of teetering atop a shopping trolley, though hard cornering isn’t exactly in its ‘comfort zone’. In the dry it’s the front that gives up the fight first; in the wet, with drive going to the rear and no traction control, you can even make it do little skids. It wanders around a bit, especially in cross winds, but relax with it and it’ll buzz along quite happily, occasionally nudging into its speed limiter at an indicated 86mph.

Mitsubishi wants to sell just 300 in the UK initially, which oughtn’t to be a problem. For nine grand you get CO2 emissions of 114g/km, well over 50mpg, air con, alloys, CD player and electric windows but, inexplicably for an i-car, no socket for your iPod. Still, it’s characterful, clever and kind of cool – the four-seater that Smart should have made.

Specifications

EngineIn-line 3-cyl, 660cc, turbo
Max power57bhp @ 6000rpm
Max torque62lb ft @ 3000rpm
0-6014.9sec (claimed)
Top speed84mph (limited)
On saleNow
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses
Ford Focus ST Mk3
Features

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses

We’d hoped the 2015 Focus ST would share a good dose of its little brother’s magic. Sadly, it didn’t
28 Apr 2025
The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever
Ferrari 296 Speciale – front
News

The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever

The 296 Speciale is the latest in Ferrari's line of mid-engined road racers, packing 868bhp and LaFerrari-beating pace on track
29 Apr 2025
Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2025 review – the ultimate Nürburgring toy
Porsche 911 GT3 RS Manthey front
Reviews

Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2025 review – the ultimate Nürburgring toy

Did the 992 GT3 RS need to be made more extreme? Posssibly not. We're glad Manthey Racing has done it, though.
28 Apr 2025