Mitsubishi is seriously considering a Renault Clio rival within the next five years that could bring back the iconic Colt name to the carmaker.
European sales and marketing boss Guillaume Cartier said the brand “is working on” a Clio rival but a decision is not yet finalised. “It’s a question of what is needed,” adding that a model must sell at least 100,000 units globally to be justified.
The potential to launch a supermini comes from Mitsubishi’s alliance with Renault-Nissan, said Cartier, which means such a car’s platform would be shared with the Nissan Micra and Clio alongside other technologies, meaning there would be many economics of scale to justify the model.
The new Clio is due this year on a new platform and so a Mitsubishi supermini would be built on that and also likely take Renault’s three-cylinder turbo engine.
Talking about potential names for the car, Cartier said there were three iconic names for Mitsubishi: Pajero, Lancer and Colt, and added that Colt would definitely be a consideration for this car. “When we have this association [of an iconic name], we must make sure the car’s personality suits it.”
Talking at the Geneva motor show, Cartier confirmed no all-new models would launch before 2020, believing its line up of the Asx, Eclipse Cross, Outlander, Shogun and L200 pick-up offered a good breath of options for car buyers.
Mitsubishi's current offering in the supermini market, the Mirage, was criticised from launch for being outclassed in most areas by many rivals. The Mirage starts from £12,175.
More content:
Rally legends twin test: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI Makinen vs Subaru Impreza 22B
Add your comment