13 November 2002: Mitsubishi has unveiled its new Colt, which uses the design theme of the successful CZ2 concept car. It rolls into showrooms in Japan, on November 16th, and in 2004 a related family of compact Mitsubishis will also be introduced in Europe.

The Colt’s platform is jointly developed with DaimlerChrysler, and the car is a key product in the 3-year MMC Turnaround. MMC plans to introduce around 15 new models to the Japanese market by 2007.

The name Colt was the first name used by Mitsubishi Motors for a passenger car when the Colt 600 was launched in 1962. Known in Europe since the 1978 Colt, this name has not been used in Japan for several decades, though the European Colt was named Mirage in Japan.

MMC and DaimlerChrysler’s smart brand plan to use the Colt platform for a set of compact cars in Europe, each with its unique interior and exterior design. Both will be manufactured at the NedCar plant in The Netherlands, a 100% MMC owned unit.