Australia’s last new Mitsubishi Mirage has been sold
It's the end of the road for the Mitsubishi Mirage in Australia, after two stints in showrooms across nearly three decades.
The last new Mitsubishi Mirage city hatch remaining in Australian showrooms has been sold – almost 18 months after the final batch arrived in the country.
Time was called on the Mirage in Australia after Mitsubishi elected not to invest in structural upgrades to meet new side-impact crash safety regulations introduced locally in November 2021.
Mitsubishi Australia estimated in 2021 it would have sufficient stock to last until June 2022 – at which time Drive reported approximately 50 new Mirages remained in dealerships.
A company spokesperson has confirmed to Drive the last new Mitsubishi Mirage in Australia was sold in February 2023 – nearly 18 months after the final batch of cars arrived before the 31 October 2021 deadline for new imports.
Data provided by Mitsubishi Australia show 79,216 Mirages have been reported as sold since the nameplate arrived on Australian roads in July 1996 – across 47,379 examples of the original 1996-2003 'CE' model, and 31,837 examples of the just-superseded 2013-2021 'LA' or 'LB' model.
Whereas the late 1990s and early 2000s Mirage was effectively the hatchback sibling to the Lancer sedan and coupe of the day, the 2010s Mirage was one size smaller than the Lancer, competing against the Kia Picanto, Nissan Micra, Suzuki Alto/Celerio and more.
The original Mirage launched in late 1996 at a price of $14,990 plus on-road costs with a manual transmission – but limboed to $13,990 plus on-road costs through 1998.
Despite this price point the Mitsubishi Mirage was never quite the cheapest new car on sale in Australia.
At the time of the original Mitsubishi Mirage's launch in 1996, the Daihatsu Handivan, priced from $10,990 plus on-road costs, was the cheapest new car on the market, according to database Redbook.
Sales spiked in the original Mirage's final year of full production, 2003, to 6661 vehicles – nearly double the prior year's sales, likely a result of sharp drive-away offers.
Meanwhile, the second-generation Mirage for Australia launched in January 2013 priced from $12,990 plus on-road costs (or drive-away, for a limited time) – but became the cheapest new car on sale locally in mid-2014 after a $1500 price cut to $11,490 plus on-road costs.
The Mitsubishi Mirage retained this title until it left showrooms, priced from $14,990 plus on-road costs (ES manual) – or $700 less than the next cheapest new car, the Kia Picanto S manual ($15,690 plus on-road costs).
While the 1990s Mirage was offered exclusively as a three-door hatchback – excluding its closely-related Lancer coupe and sedan twins – the last Mirage was available as a five-door hatchback, or a four-door sedan (sold from 2014 to 2016).