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2007 Mitsubishi Colt DI-D CZ2 Road Test

This is the Mitsubishi Colt. Chances are that you haven't heard the name for many years or seen anything quite like this new version, whichis to be expected being that Mitsubishi has not sold a Colt in North America for decades, although it really should reconsider. This latest Colt was the first real product that Mitsubishi developed during the time that DaimlerChrysler was its majority shareholder, and in order to share development costs assembled it alongside smart's Euro-only forfour, of which the two are 60-percent related. It also happened to be built during a time of financial crisis, proving that even during despair manufacturers can build good cars... though we'll save that story for another day.

Since that time (2003), much has changed. Smart no longer produces the forfour and DaimlerChrysler has been literally disassembled, starting with its share of Mitsubishi and more recently with the sale of Chrysler Group. Nevertheless, the Colt is offered in four different body styles, starting with a three-door hatchback called the CZ3, which is followed by a five-door hatchback, a folding hardtop convertible

Sadly, we don't get this Mitsubishi. Nor will we ever get it... (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

designed and built by Pininfarina of Ferrari fame, called the CZT, and a station wagon exclusive to the Japanese market called the Colt Plus. All Colts sold in Europe are built in the Netherlands, a plant which Mitsubishi inherited after going Dutch with Volvo when it producedthe Volvo S40/V40 and Mitsubishi Carisma up until the early part of this decade.

Styled by Frenchman Oliver Boulay (also no longer with Mitsubishi), the Colt doesn't really look like the average far-east subcompact car. It's got a distinctively European flair, generated by its Mercedes-Benz B-Class (found in Europe) style monospace chassis, but is clearly a Mitsubishi with the triangular grille piece, aggressive headlamps and trademark hood spine. Pull out the measuring tape and the Colt has a footprint roughly the same

You won't spot these three letters on the back of a Mitsubishi any time soon. Not until the end of the decade, at least. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

size as the Honda Fit, though its wheelbase is longer and it is taller overall... but not by much. From the front, all Colts are pretty much identical but for minor details, although the five-door hatch isn't as pretty from behind as the three-door, being that its tailgate is rather vertical and van-like. Still, with thin vertical tail lamps it discreetly gathers attention.

The DI-D (Direct Injection Diesel) turbodiesel engine featured in this particular Colt was contributed by Mercedes-Benz when it wasactively involved in the development of the forfour, though you wouldn't associate the jolt and sputter it makes as it comes alive to the three-pointed star. Once on, it's so quiet on the inside you'd never know it was anything other than a regular gasoline engine. It produces 95 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque, which is more or less what the Volkswagen Golf/Jetta 1.9-liter TDI produced

Three-cylinder engine is super strong and quick too. It was designed by Mercedes-Benz. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

when available, but housed in a vehicle that's both significantly smaller and lighter. With its “Allshift” six-speed gearbox (more on that later), the car supposedly takes 11.2 seconds to hit 60 mph, but feels nothing close to as slow as that particular number suggests (and incidentally is about 9 seconds quicker to this speed than a smart fortwo). This particular engine has an extremely flat torque curve, enabling it to sprint from 30 – 50 mph in 4.5 seconds without downshifting out of third gear. As we know, diesels get great fuel economy, and the Colt is no exception to that rule. It sips just 59 mpg on the highway!

Besides the diesel, Mitsubishi offers a variety of other engines depending on the area of sale. European-built Colts are offered with a series of inline-threes and small inline-fours, the biggest of which measures1.5-liters and produces 109 horsepower. The friendliest motor for fuel and budget is the 1.1-liter inline-three, which despite lacking power is apparently refined, smooth and rev-happy according

The gearshift lever looks cool, and the concept of a clutchless manual sounds great, but the execution is poor. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

to those who have driven it.

And getting back to something i promised a minute ago, instead of offering an automatic transmission the Colt DI-D features something called “Allshift”, Mitsubishi's version of a clutchless manual transmission that includes a complete automatic mode. It's the same system as the gearbox found in the Smart fortwo, and to be honest, it's not that nice. Because the clutch, throttle and actuators are all controlled by a computer – which by the way, knows nothing of smooth engagement – you really feel the car rock forward as it automatically cuts the throttle before the actuators kick in. It's best in its manual mode where you control the gearshifts, and lifting off the throttle prior to shifting gears will smooth things out to a degree that it's almost unnoticeable, but doesn't that defeat the point? Why not just go for the manual then? With the standard five-speed manual, it'll do the same chore in less than ten seconds, which should give you an idea of how slowly the automatic gearbox shifts.

For a normal subcompact car it feels tight and secure. Where others feel flimsy on the road, the Colt feels

Dynamically, the Colt is at the top of its class. It's ride is comfortable but firm, and the steering is nicely weighted. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

solid, its steering is heavy, but not to the degree that working the wheel becomes laborious. The ride on this particular car is tuned to European roads with a firmer suspension setting than what we're used to. As such it leans less, and rides over bumps slightly less smoothly, but doesn't weave nor bob over road imperfections and for a vehicle of such tall stature, is quite composed. Its suspension layout is nothing out of the ordinary; struts up front and a torsion beam in back.

Refreshing is probably the most apt descriptive word when referring to the Colt's cabin. The design is funky and sharp, filled with clever patterns, materials and colors. Take for instance the dashboard, which features a little integrated display for the trip computer and clock, or the pale blue spar that blends in with the rubber “accordion” boot shifter. It's been described as the iPod of cars; whatever you might think, it's cool. Better still is the fact that the Colt feels like a quality item, made with better quality materials than subcompacts sold here. There's extensive use of soft-touch plastics on the dashboards and padded door trim. You won't find these on a Fit, Yaris or Aveo, which makes it all that much more of a surprise.

The Colt is also spacious, though not as spacious as our class-leader,

High quality, and with lots of style. Yep, that'll be the Colt. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the Versa, and it's practical, although not as practical as the Fit. This modestly equipped model also featured a split-folding rear seat that tumbles, but they can also be removed. The two-piece bench rides on rails too, for cargo or interior room maximization. The front passenger's seat can also fold flat for extended-length loading. Very clever, but you'd expect nothing less after the driving dynamics, interior and styling are so good.

In short, the Colt is terrific. It's so much more than the simple transportation device which we've come to expect from small vehicles, showing that there is hope for those desiring an efficient yet fun to drive subcompact. And beg as we might, Mitsubishi simply will not bring the Colt over to North America, despite the fact that it'd be a smash hit in its current state. Blame the high cost of Western European labor and the need for heavy re-engineering to meet our bumper regulations. Also, by the time the engineering work would be finished, the next generation car would be ready to roll. Out of all the subcompact cars I've driven, the Colt outclasses every one that is offered here outright. And just as I though things couldn't have gotten better, Mitsubishi brought out the other Colt it had on hand, the CZT. Stay tuned for the road test on the DI-D's loud and proud turbocharged brother. You won't want to miss it.

Specifications (Mitsubishi Colt 5-Door):

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