Mitsubishi releases the i Limited in Japan
On Tuesday, Mitsubishi followed up the i (eye) Play with a second special edition of its nifty new kei car.
The i Limited comes in nine possible paint colors and features a grey interior with darker grey cloth seating surfaces. AM/FM/CD 4-speaker audio, air conditioning with a deodorizing filter, UV-reducing privacy glass, keyless entry, power windows, 15" wheels with styled covers, and ABS are all included in the package.
The keyless entry system allows remote operation of the windows.
As with all i models, power comes from a 660cc MIVEC turbocharged 3-cylinder. Prices are 1,197,000 Yen (2WD) and 1,323,000 Yen (4WD).
(Interior photo after the jump)
[Source: Mitsubishi Japan]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
luxury affair 1:10PM (6/28/2006)
looks like a honda fit?
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felonious monk 1:29PM (6/28/2006)
Who's bright idea was it to name a tiny car "Limited", " i [am] Limited" for that matter.
I guess they don't care about such things in Japan.
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nailz420 1:32PM (6/28/2006)
does anyone know what exactly is the power of the "660cc MIVEC turbocharged 3-cylinder"?
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rayray 1:45PM (6/28/2006)
#1, Looks more like a 4-door Smart car.
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Jason 2:00PM (6/28/2006)
If this thing was a Chevrolet they'd have announced a SS version by now, with slightly bigger rims.
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PJ 2:15PM (6/28/2006)
If it looks like a Honda Fit, it's because it competes in a similar market segment in Japan. It's actually a size below the Fit, though--the i competes with Honda's kei-segment Life, while Mitsubishi's larger Colt competes with the Fit.
There's nothing embarrassing about driving these cars within Japan's social context. Space is limited, gas prices are high, car ownership taxes are imposing, and on most freeways the speed limit is 50 MPH. It makes a lot more sense to cart four people around in one of these than in an Explorer.
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Baumann 2:27PM (6/28/2006)
Re: Jason
Funny, but strangely enough, the don't have a SS version of the Chevy Aveo yet. I wouldn't put it past them though, and it'll be a dagger in my heart. I can just imagine the pressline:
"Now you can own a Chevy SS for as little as $12,000."
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Jason 2:36PM (6/28/2006)
Trust me, I've made a few Aveo SS jokes here before. Every time I do I feel like there is a decent chance I'll actually be making a correct prediction.
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Fabulo 2:42PM (6/28/2006)
Does the price quoted include tax?
Also I wonder why most cars (especially tiny cars like this) for the JDM come in AWD. Somebody has any insight on this? I'm not convinced that my mini-car with 66hp needs the added weight and complication from an AWD drivetrain, but then again, I'm not japanese.
Is there a real need or is it just how cars need to sell in Japan?
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Howard Kerr 8:41PM (6/28/2006)
Having lived in Japan, both it's most southern islands and it's most northern islands there is indeed a market for AWD. Look at a map of Japan...while it is a smallish/narrowish country (about the size of California) it does have a lot of mountains and it stretches for quite a distance north to south...much like the U.S. And while there would be few takers for AWD in Florida....the same car would sell many examples with AWD in New York state.
As for "why call this car a Limited?" It is a special edition of the i...a limited, special edition. Consider how many vehicles sold in the U.S. have models that include the word "Limited". Ford's full-size car, for example is/was called the LTD (or limited) and when it was originally introduced back in '65...it wasn't very limited.
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Mitsufan 9:50PM (6/28/2006)
Hey folks.
As Howard said, the 4WD comes in handy on slippery, steep roads (Japan has quite a few, especially in the country, and no salt trucks on many).
Minicars are pretty cool. They are usually as quick as any other passenger vehicle through about 45 mph, which is all the average driver needs in the city. When you get up to 60 mph that little bitty engine is working too hard and your fuel efficiency drops.
Taxes are cheaper on minicars in Japan, and needless to say they are easier to park. Upkeep isn't that cheap but the purchase price usually is. The i is about ten grand, but it's beautiful (personal opinion) and designed to be on the top end of the scale. You can get other minicars for as much as 12,000 or as little as 7,000. Not bad for a new car, and they come in about a million designs.
I still think the i looks like a four-door version of the lightcycle from Tron:
http://www.3gcs.com/tron/production/Lightcycle/index.html
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tio 8:19PM (7/17/2006)
I would like it in black. It looks like a Smart Fortwo with an extra set of doors.
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