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A new Colt with a bit of a kick
publication date: Jul 25, 2009
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author/source: David Miles
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Mitsubishi Motors has added a Ralliart go-faster
version to their efficient but perhaps boring Colt three and five door
hatchback range.
Standard Colt model prices start at £7,799 for three door models and
£8,299 for five door versions but they can be cheaper if the scrappage
allowance is used. The 131mph, 1.5-litre turbocharged Ralliart versions
cost an attractive £12,049 for the three door and an extra £500 for the
five door version.
Mitsubishi estimate they will sell around 6,000 Colts in the UK this
year, marginally more five doors than three but only around 180
Ralliart versions and 69pc of customers are expected to choose the
slightly sportier three door bodyshell. The Colt range sells against
the usual A/B-segment suspects, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta, MINI,
Hyundai i20, Suzuki Swift, Renault Twingo and many more.
The fully equipped Ralliart versions from £12,049 severely undercut,
when compared with price adjusted specification, go faster versions of
the Corsa, Fiesta, MINI Cooper/Cooper S, RenaultSport Twingo and the
Abarth 500. A further sweetener for the deal is that the Colt comes
with a 3-year/30,000 Service Plan for just £295.
|  | "Inside the car is quite pleasant with its sports front seats but again
it could do with more visual appeal please and get rid of the cheap
plastics. Just look at the pictures to see what I mean." |
The latest European Colts launched earlier this year are relatively
tall hatchbacks with an easy to use MPV type box shaped passenger
compartment fronted by a distinctive new ‘jet fighter’ face as
Mitsubishi calls it. At last the Colt has got some ‘character’.
There is only a 35pc carry-over of components for this latest Colt
because it is larger and more useable. The length has increased by 70mm
and consequently and importantly the load area is larger and now ranges
from 854 to 1,032-litre. Thankfully it now has a full length flat floor
to maximise load carrying when required – a hallmark of a really useful
car in the B or ‘supermini’ segment.
With uninspiring but frugal petrol engines ranging from 1.1 to
1.3-litres the mainstream Colts sell to customers wanting a commuter
car which has the capability to cope with longer journeys and so young
families and older couples seem to be the most likely buyers.
To give the Colt range extra appeal Mitsubishi recently played their
‘green’ card with the introduction of ClearTec 1.3-litre, low CO2
versions with Stop & Start function which incur a £35 road tax
bill. Now in complete contrast, to boost the Colt’s image, Mitsubishi
have launched the 1.5-litre, turbocharged petrol, 147bhp go-faster
models and badged those Ralliart versions.
Ralliart was once the famous high performance engineering and
motorsport arm of Mitsubishi in Japan and Europe and were responsible
for the works WRC cars, Dakar Raid Rally vehicles, F3 engines and
after-market tuning components.
But it is only recently, following the demise of their motorsport
activities, that the Ralliart name has actually appeared as a model.
Even the ferocious Lancer and Colt Turbo models of the late 70’s and
80’s didn’t carry the Ralliart name and neither did the highly rated
Lancer Evolutions, although they were supplied by Ralliart. Now it
appears Mitsubishi is quite happy to tack the once famous Ralliart
badge onto the less than fearsome modern Colt and the Lancer models.
However this new generation Mitsubishi Colt 1.5 T Ralliart, to give it
its full title, is a very swift little number. The four-cylinder MIVEC
variable valve timing, DOHC turbocharged petrol 147bhp engine gives
this Colt a top speed of 131mph and 0-62mph takes 7.6 seconds. Drive to
the front wheels is through a 5-speed manual gearbox but with traction
control and electronic stability programme.
Torque steer is of course evident but to no great detrimental extent.
This is a quick car and although the suspension has been significantly
uprated and the bodyshell strengthened the pace out performs the
handling and certainly ride comfort.
|  | "Being a tall car the Colt Ralliart
suffers significant bodyroll during cornering and the suspension being
stiff isn’t compliant, it just cannot absorb any bumps or ripples in
the road surface so the ride was always unsettled." | | | | There seemed to be reasonable grip, some understeer but the steering
felt so dead it was difficult to feel at home driving this car at
speed. For short fast bursts it was certainly fun and I guess that is
how we use our cars these days given cost and traffic congestion.
Officially this Ralliart version of the Colt will return 41.5mpg in the
combined cycle. My driving period returned much better than that at
45.4mpg on average, and that included fast where possible motoring and
normal day to day stop/start commuter trips. I think that is a totally
realistic mpg figure and unless the Colt Ralliart is going to be
thrashed all the time, it can be an economical car to run.
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But does it look good? Well no because unfortunately the Colt Ralliart
has only minimal external badging to show it is a sporty number. No
body strips or decals but very nice alloys and a distinctive exhaust
tailpipe – however it doesn’t shout ‘hot performer’. It will lose out
in the image stakes for many customers who will just see it as another
functional Colt.
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MILESTONES.
Mitsubishi Colt 1.5 T Ralliart 3-Door £12,049
Engine/transmission: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder MIVEC, DOHC, turbocharged petrol, 147bhp, (210NM (155lb ft) from 3,500rpm, 5-speed manual, traction and stability control programmes
Performance: 131mph, 0-62mph 7.6 seconds, 41.5mpg ( 45.4mpg actual)
Emissions and tax: CO2 161g/km, VED Band G £150, BIK tax 20pc
Insurance group: 14E
Load capacity: 854-1,032-litres
For: Pace with space, price, can be fuel miserly, low cost servicing package, well equipped
Against: Low street-cred image, non-compliant suspension, poor handling at speed, cheap looking interior plastics |
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