All-new Clio-based Mitsubishi Colt unveiled: Warming Nippo-French relations

Following the success of the Mitsubishi ASX in Europe earlier this year, the Japanese carmaker is now reviving an iconic nameplate that will be familiar with many readers: the Colt.

Mitsubishi's once-popular hatchback makes a return to showrooms (for the European markets now, at least), now with a very French twist. Just like the ASX, it sits on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-B platform, and is heavily based on the Renault Clio.

The Colt will also be built on the same production line as its French counterpart, in Renault's Bursa facility in Turkey.

Even the design is largely untouched, with only minor revisions being done to the front fascia to reflect the Japanese carmaker's Dynamic Shield design ethos.

It sports a striking array of LED lights, with daytime running lights dramatically running down the bumper. Running across its tailgate is a large Mitsubishi script, replacing the brand's famed Three-Diamond emblem.

Mitsubishi will offer two powertrain options for their new Colt: a petrol-hybrid (HEV) and a standard petrol version. The Colt HEV comes with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, two electric motors (an alternator-starter and a main motor), a multi-mode transmission, and a 1.2 kW battery.

The petrol-powered Colt, on the other hand, comes with two variants: a 1.0-litre turbocharged inline-three engine with a six-speed manual gearbox, and a 1.0-litre NA inline-three with a five-speed manual.

Where in-cabin luxuries are concerned, the Colt is certainly not lacking.

Bells and whistles include a 7.0-inch or 9.3-inch display with Multi-Sense, which lets the driver choose the drive modes (My Sense, Sport, or Eco Mode), engine and steering response, and ambient lighting. The Colt will also come with a Bose premium sound system, and an active safety suite that includes Traffic Sign Recognition system (TSR) and Forward Collision Mitigation system (FCM).

While there's no news yet on the Colt being exported to other markets like Singapore, we're very keen to see how it stacks up against other entry-level hatchbacks. 

And with the option of getting a good ol' manual transmission for the petrol version, this French-Japanese compact car will almost surely resonate with the traditional car enthusiast.

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This article was first published in Motorist.