12 June 2001: The attraction of the Mitsubishi Spacestar has been enhanced with the addition of new 1.6-litre petrol and 1.9-litre turbodiesel engines. These complement the 1.3-litre unit which has powered the compact MPV since it was introduced in 1997.

The upgraded Spacestar is now priced from £14,060-£17,300, making it very competitive against other offerings in the segment. The new 1.6-litre engine returns almost 40mpg, while the direct injection td can achieve over 51mpg in combined calculation.

Only 200 Spacestars will be available for the rest of 2001 due to demand for the vehicle in Europe. Mitsubishi Ireland's Paddy Murphy says he could move 450 units in a full year. BB