The previous generation Mitsubishi Colt was a worthy, but dull car that was too big for a supermini, but too small to be a rival for the Escort or Focus. Only available as a three door, it put some buyers off.

Its replacement is all the things that its predecessor wasn't. It feels as modern as the best of its rivals and its styling oozes European flare. Read on for our full test, or click below to skip to a section.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance  
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1.  Looks
The Colt is unusual among Japanese superminis as it has been designed in Europe, for the European market. It's not as stylish as the Punto, but more chic than the Smart ForFour, with which it shares 60 per cent of its components. Our three-door test car had a more heavily raked windscreen and bonnet than the five-door and gave the illusion ofbeing lower than it lofty 1520mm height would indicate - a full 70mm taller than the Smart. This increases its aerodynamics; improves fuel consumption and reduces wind noise.
Verdict 8/10

2.  Looks inside
Mitsubishi has moved away from acres of grey plastic with the Colt, opting for a more contemporary feel. The top of the dash has swapped grained plastic for a textured, patterned surface, which added to the quality feel. The controls were clearly laid out and logically placed, with the only cause for concern being an overly large horn button which was too easy to press. A temperature gauge was strangely absent from the instrument cluster. The air-con and radio controls were chunky and easy to use, although when the headlights are on, they adopted a nasty eerie green glow. A multi-function display was a nice touch for a car at this price.
Verdict 7/10

3.  Practicality
Ease of use is the key to a successful supermini, and the Colt ticks all the right boxes. Our three-door model offered huge doors, allowing the occupants to climb in and out with ease. With its high roofline, there's bags of space for the taller driver, and we weren't banging elbows with our front seat passengers. The rear seats slide back and forth, allowing the occupants to choose between 155 and 235 litres of boot space, with the leg room varying accordingly. Overly thick windscreen pillars often obscured other cars, particularly when pulling out of side turnings, while the offset steering wheel was the cause of backache on longer runs.
Verdict 9/10

4.  Ride and Handling
Even though the Colt is likely to spend most of its time around town, show it some open road and it performed admirably. The ride quality was very good, although there was a fair amount of body roll around corners. It felt very sure-footed on the road, and only revealed limitations on particularly bumpy roads. When stationary, the power steering is light; ideal for the urban sprawl, but weights up nicely on the move, providing lots of feedback.
Verdict 7/10

5.  Performance
Our test car featured a 1.1-litre powerplant which developed 74bhp - enough to haul the Colt's 930kgs from standstill to 60mph in 12.9 seconds and on to 103mph. Outright performance isn't earth-shattering, but it's nippy enough around town. The 3-cylinder unit is smooth and quiet at low speeds, but although loud on the motorway, it does have a character to the engine note. It emits 130g/km of CO2, placing it in tax band C, which currently costs £100 per year. A 1.3-litre petrol and a 1.5 diesel are also available.
Verdict 7/10

6.  Running Costs
One of the main reasons for running a supermini is economy. Our 1.1-litre consistently managed over 40mpg, and we wouldn't doubt the manufactures claimed average of 49.6mpg. If you're planning on covering bigger mileages, the 1.5 diesel might be a better bet, with a claimed average of 58.9mpg, although it costs £3k more than the £7,494 1.1 petrol. The Colt comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, and servicing is every 12,500 miles or 12 months. Mitsubishi will also throw in three years worth of breakdown cover, should the worst happen. The Colt should be cheap to insure, weighing in at Group 3 for the 1.1 and Group 5 for the 1.3 and 1.5 diesel.
Verdict 9/10

7.  Reliability
Mitsubishi seem to have done a good job of screwing the Colt together properly, and there was no sign of anything coming off in our hands. It has a pretty good reputation for not breaking down; and according to the Reliability Index, it's below average for breakdowns and repair costs. The Colt's powerplants have been developed by Mitsubishi and its partner, DaimlerChrysler (who also own Mercedes), so they shouldn't give cause for concern.
Verdict 9/10

8.  Safety
An excellent score for the Colt's safety systems. Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution are fitted as standard across the range, and the chassis has been designed with occupant protection in mind. All models come with driver and passenger airbags, with a deactivation switch for the passenger side (child seats should not be used where there is an active airbag). Parents will also be pleased to know ISOFIX child seat mountings are included. Our CZ1 test car lacked side airbags, although both the CZ3 and CZT hot hatch carry them as standard.
Verdict 8/10

9.  Equipment
Our CZ1 variant had all the basics you'd expect of a £7,500 car: an integrated radio/CD player (a 6-disc changer is an option and standard on higher spec models), remote central locking and electric windows. Our test car also came with air-con, which is a £595 option. An extra £1,500 for the CZ2 (1.3 only) gets it as standard, alongside steering wheel-mounted stereo controls, rear brake discs and alloys. Yet another £1,500 will get you into the sporty CZ3 with all the trimmings. The CZT hot hatch costs a hefty £12,999, but it should provide more than enough thrills for your bills.
Verdict 7/10

10.  X-Factor
The Colt provides an interesting - and rarer - alternative to the established supermini set - Micra, Yaris, Jazz, et al. Its main trump card for us Brits is that it was designed with the European market in mind, which demands more style, flare and panache than other Japanese runabouts offer. And in doing so, the Colt feels it should be as much as home in Milan as Manchester.
Verdict 8/10

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