Out of the mist of time a Mirage

Small and nippy, the Mitsubishi Mirage of the 70s was affordable, economical and popular. Its descendant is set up to emulate those highly marketable characteristics.Photo / Phil Hanson

Mitsi's super-seller rides again

Mitsubishi's bringing back the Mirage nameplate in February and provided a peek of the new small car during this week's Outlander SUV introduction.

It'll be sold in two versions, the base LS at $18,990 and the GLS at $21,990. Both use a 1.2-litre three cylinder engine mated to a CVT automatic transmission.

The five-door hatchback replaces the Colt range.

"Everyone remembers having a Mirage," says Mitsubishi Motors' marketing head, Daniel Cook.

Once a cornerstone of the company's New Zealand line-up with more than 57,000 sold, the Mirage helped make Mitsubishi the country's leading brand in the early 1980s.

Cook's hoping the name will once again be all good for the company, especially with an overall fuel economy rating of 4.6-litres per 100km.