The decision confirms...
The decision confirms comments made by Impreza chief engineer, Hiroshi Mori, who told Auto Express that the next-generation car "might take a new design direction, and could be smaller". So why have designers turned their back on saloons? The new car will be smaller, lighter and cheaper to produce than the four-door, and should have better handling, thanks to its short wheelbase and stiffer body.
Auto Express first broke...
Auto Express first broke the news of the firm"s plans to tune up the Colt in issue 818, and the car has now finally arrived. With bulging wheelarches, low side skirts and an Evo-style front bumper and bonnet, the five-door is sure to set pulses racing.
Inside, the sporty upgrades continue, with aluminium pedals and plenty of silver-coloured trim on display. Designers have also replaced the ignition key with a starter button and fitted figure-hugging seats to hold occupants in place while cornering.
The car is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine - borrowed from the Colt CZC - which develops 152bhp. In addition, the suspension and braking have been upgraded to give sharper handling. Based on the same platform as Smart"s ForFour, the Mitsu-bishi has proven practicality, but it"s never been a true driver"s car... until now.
Developed by the company"s in-house tuning arm Ralliart, the supermini is called the Version-R. It doesn"t get the full Evolution tag, as this is reserved only for the extreme high-performance Lancer, but it is the first of several "warm" models to be badged Ralliart.
Whether or not the feisty Colt hits the UK is all down to you. While Mitsubishi"s European division has opted not to import the fast hatch, the Japanese firm"s British arm could still bring it to our shores independently, just like it does with the Evo.
"If there is sufficient demand, we"d certainly be interested," said a spokeswoman. This means the hot Colt could appear in showrooms in the UK next year if enough of you register an interest! As an alternative, engineers working for Mitsubishi in Britain are also developing their own performance up-grade pack for the Colt.
While nothing has been officially announced or confirmed for production, a prototype is rumoured to have been tuned to deliver 180bhp. That would give the Colt nearly enough power to challenge supermini-based hot hatch class leaders, including Vauxhall"s forthcoming Corsa VXR.