2014 Mitsubishi Mirage Competition? (vs. Ford Fiesta 1.0L turbo? Others?)

[canoeist]

I've been reading here and elsewhere about the new Mitsubishi mirage/space star. It all sounds very good. Ford, however, claims that there new ecoboost 1.0 will be the most fuel efficient non-hybrid on the Canadian market. They also claim it gets much more power/torque.

My questions, then are these:

Is the Fiesta ecoboost actually in the same league as the mirage in terms of fuel efficiency (put another way, can turbocharged 123 hp really use less fuel than naturally aspirated 70hp)?

Are there other similar small-engined, lightweight cars coming to market in the foreseeable future that I am not aware of? Ideally I'd like to replace my car but not for a few years.

For reference - I don't know a whole lot about cars, average about 6.0l/100km in my '03 Ford Focus in the summer (winter tires, snow, more city driving and cold starts play havoc with that number in the winter), and am convinced that every car made/sold has more power than it needs. As an aside, I am from Winnipeg and saw a presentation about the urbee, which I think has 8hp and reaches highway speeds.

[MetroMPG]

I also read that the Fiesta 1.0T would have the best non-hybrid fuel economy. But that was before we knew about the Mirage (or whatever they end up calling it). Either way, may be close.

FYI, the Mirage 1.2L engine will be closer to 77 hp (instead of 70).

I think it's possible the Fiesta 1.0 turbo could get better highway economy than the Mirage - it'll have much more torque available, so they have the opportunity to gear it up and reduce cruising RPM. Whether they will or not is the question. The Mirage is probably going to be geared too low to get good high speed (100 km/h+ / 60 mph+) fuel economy, but we know its potential at moderate speeds (80-90 km/h) is very good. (See http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...mpg-24971.html )

However, the Mirage has a better drag coefficient and CdA than the Fiesta. So who knows. Mitsu claims Cd figures ranging from 0.27 to 0.31 for the Mirage depending on drivetrain/trim. This page says a Fiesta 1.0 has a Cd of 0.328.

But it's unlikely the Fiesta will get better city economy, because it's quite a bit heavier than the Mitsu. In Australia, the new Mirage 5-speed tips the scales at just 865 kg / 1910 lbs. Though it is likely to gain a few more pounds on its way across the pond to Canada/US (eg. a beefier rear bumper has already been spotted).

So let's say it comes in at 1950 lbs here. The 2013 Fiesta hatch 5-speed weighs 2537 lbs, and the automatic porks out at 2575. They're really in different classes there.

I haven't seen any other new mass market cars on the horizon that have taken weight reduction as far as Mitsu with the new Mirage. It may be the lightest new car on the market with more than 2 seats for some time.

Then there's the price question. Ford's going to position Fiesta 1.0t as a "premium" model in the range, whereas the Mirage is a genuine econobox: the cheapest trim (~$13k) 5-speed will probably get the best fuel economy.

[MetroMPG]

ps:

...am convinced that every car made/sold has more power than it needs.

I agree with you there. And I bet you won't say that about the Mirage if/when you drive one!

[MetroMPG]

I've seen 77 (Wiki) to 79 (some news reports). Updated my post.

[canoeist]

Thanks, metro, for the thoughtful reply. I sort of hate Ford, for a variety of reasons to do with customer service and the number of lemons they seemed happy to produce in the past. That said, my focus is quite a reliable little car.

The difference between 6 l/100km and the possibility of under 4 is exciting, though, so I will be in line to try out the mirage when it arrives in fall. A 10 year powertrain warranty can't hurt, either.

[MetroMPG]

You're welcome!

The Mitsu warranty does appear impressive, yes.

As for the Mirage numbers... have a look at the Scion iQ or the Smart Fortwo for an indication of where we think it will land, perhaps slightly better: The Canadian iQ is rated at 6.5 L/100km city, 4.7 L/100km highway; Fortwo is rated at 5.8 L/100km city, 4.7 L/100km highway.

If you're managing to average 6.0 L/100km from your '03 Focus in the summer (which is the highway rating of the 5-speed Focus), that suggests you're an above average eco-driver in sub/urban conditions, or most of your travel is relaxed, moderate speed highway driving (at or below the speed limit). Or some combination of those two.

You should be able to achieve similar results with another vehicle, unless its rating is way off (and we know that does happen).