THIS is the sixth generation Colt from the Mitsubishi stable to come under starters orders and it's the best yet. It's a sporty little motor with a sleeker, sharper style and an amazing amount of space inside.
Mitsubishi dealers needed this newcomer for their showrooms to boost the choice for those who find the Japanese marque appealing and to capture new buyers.
It's a thoroughly modern car at the lower end of the price scale which is something Mitsubishi has been lacking over the past couple of years.
The new Colt should help boost sales and get Mitsubishi back on track as a company with a choice of decent cars which are bang up to date. The new Grandis MPV and Outlander SUV will also help pull in sales.
It's Mitsubishi's first foray into the European supermini sector and it is a radical departure from the old Colt.
Built on a new platform shared with DaimlerChrysler, the Colt also shares 60 per cent of its components with its Smart FourFour partner and is built at Mitsubishi's NedCar plant in Holland.
Designers have gone the way of others in the industry and have opted for a car which has a long wheelbase and wide front and rear tracks to maximise interior space.
This they have achieved. Head, leg and shoulder room are excellent and all-round visibility is good.
Extra room for carrying a load is made easy by the flexibility of the 60/40 split rear seats that individually slide, recline, fold and can be removed all-together.
The futuristic looking dashboard and driving controls are well laid out and a good driving position is easily achieved. However, I was disappointed with the quality of some of the interior trim which is a tad cheap and flimsy, but that's sometimes the price you pay for an affordable small motor.
How does it drive? The 1.3-litre, 94bhp unit, manufactured in Germany, gives lively performance with a top speed claimed at 112mph and 11.2 seconds from zero to 62mph. It's a bit noisy under hard acceleration but is a smooth performer on motorways and on A roads.
Ride and handling are excellent with the new Colt content to take fast bends. But although the supermini irons out most bumps and depressions in the road there is a fair amount of road noise intruding into the cabin.
Safety features include twin front airbags and ABS brakes with electronic brake distribution as standard. It also comes with three-point safety belts, two Isofix anchors and three headrests in the rear. Additional features include seatbelt pretensioners and a deactivation switch for the front passenger airbag.
Equipment level on the Elegance test car included leather seat upholstery, front fogs, steering wheel with audio remote controls, side airbags, under-seat storage tray, six-speaker radio and CD player, immobiliser, air conditioning, chromed exhaust, electric heated door mirrors and remote central locking.
Overall it's a nice package from Mitsubishi which is up against some stiff opposition in the shape of the Peugeot 206, Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris, Citroen C3 and Nissan Micra.
I think this new Mitsubishi has come just in time to help the Japanese company - which has been treading the water a bit in recent times - to get back to where it was a few years ago.
FAST FACTS
Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 Elegance 5dr
Price: £11,499
Mechanical: 94bhp, 1,332cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 11.1 secs
Combined mpg: 47.1
Insurance group: 5
CO2 emissions: 143g/km
BiK rating: 15%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage; 6yrs anti-rust