Mitsubishi Colt 2007 Review

Styled by Italian design studio Pininfarina, the Colt Cabriolet is at once stylish and goofy looking, particularly in profile with the roof up.

The rear deck is too flat and long and the bubble shaped cabin too large and bulbous, creating an unbalanced appearance.

With the roof down, however, the car looks like a million bucks.

One thing's for sure, it's certainly got some get up and go with the 1.5-litre turbo aboard.

Pininfarina has been responsible for a range of diverse and iconic designs over the years, including the Jaguar XJS, Peugeot 206CC and recently released Volvo C70 coupe/cabriolet.

The company specialises in soft and hard topped roof solutions and its expertise is employed by many manufacturers.

Mitsubishi says the roof system was the first thing that Pininfarina developed for the Colt Cabrio during the design phase.

The roof was engineered and tested in its wind tunnel at Grugliasco, to guarantee the highest standards of safety and functionality.

The fact Pininfarina engineered both the Pug and Mitsubishi cabrios is a point of interest, as the two are rivals, with a new Pug set to heat up things shortly.

Our test car was certainly an eye-catcher finished in burnt metallic orange, but with a pair of the tiniest back seats that we have ever laid eyes on.

There's little or no legroom for rear seat passengers and you've got to wonder why they bothered?

The turbocharged engine develops 110KW of power at 6000rpm and 210Nm of torque at 3500rpm, slightly less power than the Ralliart Colt.

In comparison the cheaper naturally aspirated model delivers 80kW at 6000rpm and 145Nm at 4000rpm.

The force fed engine features a weight- saving hollow camshaft.

Other changes have been made to accommodate the higher power output, with stronger engine and gearbox mountings, plus higher spring rates to cope with the demands of more harder acceleration and spirited handling.

The turbocharged engine is mated to a five- speed Getrag manual transmission, with a revised gear set - there's no auto.

Rounding off the package are 16in alloys fitted with 205/45 rubber.

The end result is a car that's a bit of a tearaway, able to spin the wheels off the line, and again when changing to second gear and one that is something of a handful in the wet.

Weighing in at 1200kg, it can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 8.4 seconds and has a top speed of 205km/h.

Fuel consumption from the 47-litre tank is rated at 7.2 litres/100km.

We found the turbo a fun car to drive, but not exactly what you'd call cheap motoring at $37,990 plus on-roads.

The roof is easily removed, with a locking clamp at each corner and luggage screen in the boot that must be extended before the roof will operate.

Too much luggage and the roof will refuse to open.

There's some body flex with the roof open, particularly on bumpy secondary roads - but not too much.

The top of the windscreen is quite high and this minimises wind intrusion.

The power-operated windows can be tricky, as one set of controls operates both front and rear windows, with a pause required between the two.

You get leather and heated front seats standard, but the finish inside smacks of plastic and the sound system failed to impress.

Handling is generally good, but we were wary of executing any fast cornering in the wet.

It's reassuring to know that Active Stability Control (incorporating Active Traction Con- trol) is fitted along with anti-lock brakes to stop things getting out of hand.

Strong front pillars and windshield frame are designed to support the car in a roll over accident, without the need for rear roll bars.

Driver, passenger and side airbags are also fitted.