Mitsubishi Colt 2005 News

In extreme situations, owners have been warned their vehicles may catch fire.Mitsubishi was hit with the biggest safety recall for the three month period. It has written to owners of Pajeros built between 2000 and 2003 to warn them of a potential brake problem. As many as 13,400 vehicles may need to be checked.The company also recalled 4400 of its now-defunct 380 sedan, built between 2006 and 2007, which may have a faulty fuel tank retaining strap. In a severe collision the tank may be dislodged and spill fuel.Mitsubishi is also checking more than 8300 Colts built this year which may have a problem with door windows which may drop and unlock or open the door while the car is being driven.Honda has recalled 11,800 of its 2004-05 Jazz to check whether they have a faulty handbrake, while Mazda needs to look at 1770 of its B4000 utes built between 2005-2006 because the bonnet may open unexpectedly.Subaru has recalled 5380 of its Imprezas, built between 2001 and 2003 because of a faulty rear tailgate which may suddenly drop.Subaru Australia spokesman, Dave Rowley, said many of the recalls were to check for "minor or niggling" faults."We have had no incidents of anyone being injured in Australia and we found only six cars which had the faulty (tailgate strut) connection."Many recalls are done as a pre-emptive measure to avoid possible problems further down the track, " he said.Other potential faults include electrical short circuits, which in extreme circumstances, may start a cabin fire in Landrover Freelander diesels built since 2007. Landrover warns the fault may occur when the vehicle is parked and unattended.Other recalls were to check for short circuits in Fiat's Grande Punto; and a chance that the panoramic glass roof in a small number of Citroen's Picasso could be dislodged.Suzuki has warned of potential fire risk in its 3-door Suzuki Grand Vitara (2006-07) because of a possible cracked fuel pipe, while the 2005-08 Vitara diesel has a remote fire risk in a filter because of a problem with the intercooler outlet pipe insulator.Other problems include faulty rear seat belt D-loop attachments in the current Jaguar XF, and the potential for a loss of steering in Chrysler's 300C built last year because of a problem with rear axle hub nuts which could see the half shaft disengage from the wheel hub.Mercedes Benz wants to look at axles, springs and the park brake in its Sprinter or Vito vans.Jayco has recalled some of its motor homes to check and fix awning and exhaust pipe problems.Of the 1500 motorcycles recalled, safety issues to be fixed include a faulty fuel filler on Kawasaki models, a windshield which may come off Buell bikes if ridden at high speed and a rear view mirror which may fall off on certain Yamaha models.An ACCC spokeswoman said this year's figures were actually less than last year but the number has been steadily rising over the past 20 years.The ACCC says there have been 52 individual recalls this year compared to 171 last year.Full details of the recalls can be found at www.recalls.gov.au 

Industry figures released this week show the real boom in the market has been in four-cylinder cars valued at less than $25,000.Known as the light car segment, sales in the division are up 22.7 per cent for the year to date on last year, while the large car segment is down the same figure. Last month light cars were up by 31.4 per cent on August last year.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Peter Sturrock says this trend has increased over the past couple of years, with a recent acceleration put down to high petrol prices."Well, quite simply because they are more fuel efficient, small and less expensive to purchase in the first place and they're less expensive to run," Sturrock says.A total of 10,806 light cars were sold last month and 77,650 sold this year, which is 14,346 more than last year. Leading the line-up is the Toyota Yaris, with a starting price of $14,990, which recorded 2673 sales in August, taking the total to 18,064 for the year to date.Added to this figure are the remaining 304 Echos that Toyota has sold this year, before the nameplate was changed to be consistent with the Yaris badging used in Europe.Hyundai's small Getz, named Australia's Best Small Car for 2005 by Australia's auto clubs, has also achieved an increase in sales, with 1738 models sold last month, and 13,863 for the year, an 18.4 per cent improvement over the same period last year.Getz prices start at $13,990 and stretch to $18,380. The cheapest car on the market, the Holden Barina, starting at $13,490, has the third highest sales for the segment, with 1091 sales in August and 9567 for the year to date.The Barina is followed by the Suzuki Swift, Honda Jazz and Kia Rio, all recording between 5500 and 6800 sales each for the year-to-date and just under 100 sales in August.Sturrock says while fuel prices are contributing to a shift to these cars, good value at a low price is also converting buyers."The small cars now are very well equipped," he says. "Some years ago they were the basic models, but now they're well equipped with safety and anti-theft, occupant protection, airbags and ABS, and they often have Electronic Stability Control."Features in this segment on cars such as the Yaris and Getz include front airbags, an MP3 compatible CD system, airconditioning, power windows, central locking and ABS. Some even come with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and anti-skid technology.Holden's Barina offers airconditioning as standard, a feature that has to be bought as an option in the $34,990 base model VE Commodore Omega. The Hyundai Getz also offers a five-year/130,000km warranty.Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen, says this segment also offers a good alternative to second-hand cars."With the options that you can get on a brand new car, plus the new car warranty, it's quite appealing, especially to younger people," he says. And it seems a wide variety of buyers are purchasing these light cars, from students through to families and retirees.Hyundai spokesman Richard Power says its small cars, the Getz and Accent, are finding a market among a variety of drivers."We get quite a few young people buying it as their first new car and there's loyalty from senior motorists, who don't need a big car any more and are very attracted by the long warranty," he says. Overall, the car market has dropped by 3.4per cent on last year, with 642,383 vehicles sold, a decrease of 22,513 vehicles. August was also down from 2005 by 4516 vehicles.In the small car segment, sales are up 3 per cent year-to-date, with the Toyota Corolla the segment leader with 4147 sales in August and 31,705 Corollas sold this year. But small car sales also experienced a slight drop last month, down 1.3 per cent or 244 vehicles.Sturrock says that although the large car segment is down by 26,461 vehicles, it is still an important part of the market."It has reduced over time from what it was to where it is today," he says. "But it's still about 25 per cent of the passenger car market. You see very strong interest in the new Holden Commodore and the new Toyota Camry, there's been an excellent reaction."WHAT'S SELLINGToyota Yaris 18,368Hyundai Getz 13,863Holden Barina 9567Suzuki Swift 6703Honda Jazz 5936Kia Rio 5579Ford Fiesta 4407Mazda2 3934Hyundai Accent 3593Mitsubishi Colt 1516VW Polo 1337Peugoet 206 1071Citroen C3 486Proton Savvy 357smart fortwo 326Renault Clio 173Citroen C2 139smart forfour 132Fiat Punto 113Daihatsu Sirion 40Proton Satria 9Suzuki Ignis 1*Source: VFacts (light car sales 2006 to end August)Note: Yaris sales includes 304 Echo salesTHE CHEAPIESHolden Barina from $13,490Hyundai Getz from $13,990Proton Savvy from $13,990Toyota Yaris from $14,990Hyundai Accent from $15,990Mitsubishi Colt from $15,990Suzuki Swift from $15,990Ford Fiesta from $15,990Honda Jazz from $15,990Kia Rio from $15,990Mazda2 from $16,335Peugeot 206 from $16,990VW Polo from $16,990

It was the price leader for the Japanese brand before it was put out to pasture, but returns as a premium hatch to take on the Honda Jazz and the Mazda2. The five-door Colt replaces the $13,990 "drive-away" Mirage, but is a totally different type of car with a much heftier price. With a starting mark of $18,990, the Colt costs more than the base Jazz ($15,990) and Mazda2 ($16,990). Mitsubishi says the Colt might cost more, but comes with much more gear standard. Mitsubishi Australia president Tom Phillips says it would be nice to have a cheaper Colt to lure buyers, but believes customers will recognise the value. "We don't have a 1.3-litre (engine) like the Jazz that they sell at a certain price, so it is up to us to get the message across about how good this car is," Phillips says. "It is a bit like the Magna. You look at the value and specification in that and it is second to none." The Colt LS comes standard with continuously variable automatic transmission, airconditioning, anti-skid brakes, CD sound and dual airbags. Surprisingly, the LS misses out on a tacho or a centre console (between the seats) which is a $110 option. The XLS model costs $3000 more and comes with all the LS gear, plus alloy wheels, fog-lights, mild body-kit and leather steering wheel cover, tacho and centre console. Both Colt models are powered by the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts and variable valve timing. It has 72kW of power, 132Nm of torque and has an official combined fuel economy figure of 6.4 litres per 100km. There is no manual version. Just like its competitors, the Colt has disc brakes on the front and drums on the rear. Side curtain airbags are available for $1200 for buyers who are safety conscious. Unfortunately, the seatbelt on the middle seat of the back row has only a lap belt rather than the safer lap sash belt. Mitsubishi says the Colt will be most often bought as a second vehicle and will "hardly ever" carry five people – but what about when it does? The rear seats can be folded into a variety of positions to maximise boot space and there are several hidey-holes around the car for storage. Mitsubishi expects the Colt to outsell the Mirage and plans to shift about 400 a month. ON THE ROAD IF YOU are still reading this report, Mitsubishi might have a chance of selling a reasonable number of Colts. I'm sure many potential buyers would have lost interest once they saw the $18,990 starting price. That's the problem Mitsubishi faces. The Aussie arm of the Japanese carmaker brokered a deal at the last minute to avoid a starting price of $19,990. That would have been way too much and $18,990 is still pricey. Sure, if you bought a Mazda2 or a Honda Jazz with the same level of equipment, you would have to pay more than $18,990, but many people are attracted by the cheaper base prices, even if they end up handing over more cash. As for the car itself, it is surprisingly spacious with heaps of headroom and legroom). The engine is sprightly and it is comfortable to drive. The electric-assisted (instead of hydraulic-assisted) power steering is nice and light and the car turns easily into tight spaces. Its CVT automatic works well enough – though, like all CVTs, it sounds as if it is constantly slipping the clutch. The noise is annoying when you are pushing the car hard, but not around town where the smooth CVT is in its element. Handling is very low on the list of priorities of Colt buyers according to Mitsubishi, but it's nice to know the Colt feels solid and sure even on wet and bumpy roads. It certainly doesn't skip and bounce over bumps like the Honda Jazz does. The Colt does feel a bit cheap inside, though, with hard plastic surfaces that belong on a less expensive car and don't match the Jazz or Mazda2. That is a real problem, because it is the first thing you notice when you jump in. The styling is what you expect from a fresh new light car such as the Colt and Mitsubishi is offering some cool colours, including an orange and a yellow, that will really stand out on the street. Do your homework and the Colt is worth considering if you want a capable well-equipped light car. But with a starting price of $18,990 it could struggle for attention.