Mitsubishi Mirage Generations and Specs: Full Model Overview (1978–Present)

A complete guide to Mitsubishi Mirage generations, from the 1978 sedan to the current 5-door hatchback, covering mitsubishi mirage specs from 61 to 205 hp and the versions worth buying.

The Mitsubishi Mirage is a 5-door hatchback produced from 1978 to the present, with outputs ranging from 61 to 205 hp across its history. This overview of mitsubishi mirage generations and mitsubishi mirage specs suits buyers looking for a compact, simple city car — the current 1.2-liter hatchback — as well as those hunting for older sedans, including rare 4x4 versions with up to 205 hp. Across eight generations and restylings, the model changed body style once — from sedan to 5-door hatchback — and moved from wide lineups of 40–57 modifications in the 1990s to compact ranges of 4–6 modifications today. Questions about mitsubishi mirage reliability on the used market largely come down to which generation you pick, since the mechanical makeup of the sedans and the hatchbacks has little in common.

Mitsubishi Mirage generations

1 generation (1978–1983)

The first Mitsubishi Mirage was built from 1978 to 1983 as a sedan with front-wheel drive, offered with manual and automatic gearboxes across 15 modifications. Power spanned 72 to 105 hp. The 1.4 AT (82 hp) with a 1411 cc engine was the mass-market choice, while the 1.4 MT (105 hp) with the same 1411 cc displacement topped the range — a difference of 23 hp between the automatic and the manual version of the same engine. A 1.6 MT (88 hp) with a 1597 cc engine also joined the lineup during the production run. All first-generation cars were front-wheel drive; no 4x4 versions existed in 1978–1983.

2 generation (1983–1988)

The second-generation Mirage sedan (1983–1988) more than doubled the lineup to 34 modifications, all front-wheel drive, with 61 to 120 hp. The 1.3 MT (77 hp) with a 1299 cc engine was the volume version, and the 1.6 MT (120 hp) with a 1597 cc engine was the strongest of the generation. The power ceiling rose from 105 to 120 hp compared with the first generation, while the floor dropped to 61 hp — the widest relative spread the model had seen to that point. Both automatic and manual gearboxes remained on offer throughout 1983–1988.

3 generation (1988–1991)

The third generation (1988–1991) brought 4x4 to the Mirage sedan for the first time, alongside front-wheel drive, in 43 modifications spanning 61 to 160 hp. The 1.5 AT (85 hp) with a 1468 cc engine, produced from 1987 to 1991, was the common pick. The 1.6 MT (160 hp) with a 1596 cc engine and 4x4 was the performance flagship — a 40 hp jump over the previous generation's best. At the other end, a 1.8 AT diesel with 61 hp and a 1796 cc engine appeared in the same 1988–1991 window: the largest engine of the generation paired with its lowest output.

4 generation (1994–1995)

The fourth-generation sedan had a short 1994–1995 production window but the widest lineup yet: 48 modifications, 76 to 175 hp, with FWD and 4x4. The 1.5 MT (97 hp) with a 1496 cc engine was the mainstream version, and the 1.6 AT (175 hp) with a 1597 cc engine was the most powerful — notably delivered through an automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive rather than a manual. A 2.0 AT diesel (88 hp) with a 1998 cc engine and 4x4 covered the economy end, the only two-liter engine in the model's history. Packing 48 modifications into roughly two model years made this the densest lineup of any Mirage generation.

5 generation (1995–2000)

The fifth generation (1995–2000) was the broadest Mirage sedan range: 57 modifications from 75 to 205 hp, in FWD and 4x4, with both automatic and manual gearboxes. The 1.5 AT (110 hp) with a 1468 cc engine was the volume seller. The 1.8 AT (205 hp) with a 1834 cc engine and 4x4 remains the most powerful Mirage ever made — 30 hp above the fourth generation's peak and 125 hp above anything sold today. The same 1834 cc engine came in two further states of tune: the 1.8 MT (113 hp) with front-wheel drive returned 6.7 l/100 km, making it the efficient pick of the generation, and the 1.8 AT (140 hp) with FWD sat between them. After 2000, the Mirage name left the market for twelve years, and the sedan body never returned.

6 generation (2012–2015)

After the long pause, the Mirage returned in 2012 as a 5-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, six modifications, and 69–78 hp — a deliberate retreat from the 57-modification, 205 hp fifth generation to a minimal city-car formula. The manual gearbox was joined by a CVT instead of a conventional automatic. The 1.2 CVT (74 hp) with a 1193 cc engine was the mass version and consumed 5.9 l/100 km — the lowest figure recorded for any Mirage. The 1.2 CVT (78 hp) topped the range and reached 100 km/h in 13.8 seconds, while a 1.0-liter (999 cc) manual version with 71 hp did the same sprint slightly quicker, in 13.6 seconds, thanks to the manual gearbox.

6 generation, restyling (2015–present)

The restyled sixth-generation hatchback (2015–present) narrowed the lineup to four modifications, all with the 78 hp 1.2-liter (1193 cc) engine and front-wheel drive. The choice reduced to gearbox alone: the 1.2 CVT (78 hp) uses 6.4 l/100 km, and the 1.2 MT (78 hp) uses 6.7 l/100 km — an unusual case where the CVT beats the manual on fuel by 0.3 l/100 km. Power range compressed to a single point, 78 hp, the narrowest of any Mirage generation.

6 generation, restyling 2 (2019–present)

The second restyling (2019–present) offers five modifications of the 1193 cc hatchback with 78–80 hp, again with CVT and manual gearboxes and front-wheel drive only. The 1.2 i CVT (78 hp) is the mass version. The 1.2 i (80 hp) with a manual gearbox, sold from 2020, accelerates to 100 km/h in 13.5 seconds — the quickest of the current range and 0.3 seconds faster than the pre-restyling 78 hp CVT managed in 2012–2015.

Which Mitsubishi Mirage to buy

On the used market, the practical split is by era: the 2012-onward hatchbacks are recent, mechanically simple cars with small 1.0–1.2-liter engines and few modifications per generation, while the 1978–2000 sedans are now 26 to 48 years old, so parts sourcing depends on which of the five sedan generations you pick. The sedans span 197 modifications across five generations against 15 for all hatchback versions combined, which makes verifying the exact modification of an older car essential before purchase.

Which Mitsubishi Mirage to avoid

The 1.8 AT diesel (3 generation) is the weakest Mirage in the data: 61 hp from the largest engine of its generation (1796 cc), while the same generation's 1.5 AT delivers 85 hp from a smaller 1468 cc unit. Unless a diesel is a strict requirement, the petrol versions of 1988–1991 offer more power per liter. Among the current cars there is no comparable weak point — all 2015-onward versions share the same 78–80 hp 1.2-liter engine, so the choice reduces to gearbox and trim rather than mechanical risk.