There was a time when it was possible to get a new vehicle under the $15,000 mark. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case today. In the space of a few years, the subcompact car category has seen the number of models offered decrease visibly until there are only three contenders: the Nissan Versa, the Kia Rio and the Mitsubishi Mirage which will be still with us in 2024.
The manufacturer’s only car in Canada
Following the departure of the 2017 model year Lancer, the 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage became the only car offered in the Canadian market by Mitsubishi. The rest of the lineup consists of SUVs only. Contrary to rumors that reported its disappearance, the Mirage will continue to be offered for the 2024 model year, confirms Mitsubishi Canada. However, like many vehicles on the market, the Mirage will no longer offer the manual gearbox; it will now only be marketed with the continuously variable transmission (CVT) from 2024.
As a result of this change, the Mitsubishi Mirage will be available in three versions: ES CVT, NOIR CVT, GT CVT. As was the case last year, the subcompact remains a hatchback (hatchback body) since the sedan’s demise in 2019.
An increased price
Everything costs more, and the Mitsubishi Mirage is no exception. Indeed, with the removal of the manual transmission, the price of the entry-level version will increase from $16,764 to $19,464, including freight and delivery charges. The only good news in all of this is that it still maintains a price range below $25,000. The most plush version of the Mirage is the GT CVT which will carry an MSRP of $23,964 including freight and delivery charges. However, it must be taken into account that certain colors are offered for an additional cost of $300 to $450.
A relevant future?
When we asked the Head of Communications at Mitsubishi Canada what would happen to the Mirage in our market, this was the answer we got: “We don’t speculate on decisions made based on the future, but today, the Mirage continues to play a role in our lineup of Mitsubishi vehicles offered in the Canadian market. It’s an entry-level vehicle that offers great value and boasts excellent fuel mileage and low cost of ownership. We can therefore take from this comment that the Japanese manufacturer still finds it appropriate to offer this subcompact on the market today.
In terms of sales figures, the Mitsubishi Mirage is positioned at 2e rank, just after the Kia Rio which occupies the 1D place. However, it must be remembered that the current generation Kia Rio will not be renewed, as mentioned by the manufacturer earlier this year, which could leave additional market share to Mitsubishi. In addition, sales figures for the Mirage are on the rise. For comparison, it had sold 140 Mitsubishi Mirage at 1er quarter of 2022, while this year 282 sales were recorded in the 1er quarter of 2023.
