You might have long suspected that most cars, like a new house, are engineered from the ground up, but they’re not.
This week’s Test Drive, the Mitsubishi Space Star, is engineered from the ground for a specific reason, to maximise fuel economy, which it achieves in spades.
The Space Star, as you would expect of anything from the Mitsubishi stable, is extremely well build, and doesn’t shy from being muscular when it needs to be.
But it is also light, and that deftness begins with the steering, which is rack and pinion with electronic power assist.
The latest incarnation of the Space Star is available in two models, the 1.0 L Invite and the 1.2L Intense, which is slightly heavier so that its fuel consumption (combined), 4.4/100km, or 64 mpg, while excellent, is not as good as its smaller brother: 4.0/100km, or 70 mpg.
Price wise, there is enough of a difference: E12,000 for the 1.0L Invite, E15,000 for the 1.2 L Intense AS&G and E16,500 for the 1.2 L Intense AS&G CVT, all five door models. But whatever way you look at it, it’s a lotta hatchback for that kind of money, for which you get an eight year warranty as standard.
With a gross kerb weight of less than 1,370 kg, though put together in high-tensile steel, expect an instantly engaging performance from the car the moment you engage the throttle.
This will come as a surprise: don’t be fooled into thinking that a small engine is a sluggish performer. The Space Star is anything but and easily eats 0 to 100 km/h in eleven seconds, which is more responsive than most of its rivals.
It is debatable if Mitsubishi had a small family in mind with the Space Star, because it is more than competent if you are entering your twilight years and fancy rewarding yourself with a new car.
Inside, there is a no nonsense approach to style, with a perfectly arranged instrument cluster that is purposefully functional and, in its simplicity, quite clever.
As a member of the taller than average club, I was surprised that such a compact hatchback is so capacious and quite accomodating in the head department.
I was a stranger to the Space Star before driving it for a weekend, and found it as refined to drive as it is attractive to look at. Think Mitsubishi and you want a car that goes about its business without fuss, that treats a town road and a country road in the same manner.
So if you are looking for strong performance, refinement and excellent fuel economy in a reliable compact car, with oodles of space, the Space Star is a genuine contender.