irishcar.com - Mitsubishi Space Star 03 first view

Were it not for some pretty imaginative marketing, a very loyal dealership and the amazing popularity of Mitsubishi’s commercial wing, headed by the L200 Double Cab Pick-Up and the Pajero, we might well have been staring at Mitsubishi melt-down in Ireland.

However, the bad times are changing for Mitsubishi. The Japanese company that sets the benchmark for quality and reliability - and boasts an amazingly successful racing/rallying heritage that stretches back over forty years - is beginning to fight back.

Rescued by DaimlerChrysler, who now own 37.3% of the company, Mitsubishi is now back in profitability. And bullish about the future, a future that promises over 300,000 unit sales in Europe in 2003 (213,000 in 2001) and twelve new product launches by 2007.

The new model birth starts with the European version of the Airtrek/Outlander. A crossover station wagon (codenamed NQZ), it’s set to hit the market place in April 2003 - to be followed by three other new models in for January, February and March of 2004.

Many of the other eleven new models, too, “will be niche crossover models, imbued with sporty flair, consumer-oriented engineering and readily recognisable designs, ” Daniel Nacass, general manager of Mitsubishi Public Relations Europe, said at the European launch of the uprated Space Star.

A precursor of things to come, but not one of the ‘wave of twelve’, the Space Star arrives in Ireland in October with no fewer than twenty major bumper to bumper changes - at no extra cost for the 1.3 litre entry-level model - we were told by Paddy Murphy, general manager of Mitsubishi Motors Ireland.

Three engine options will be offered to Irish customers. Two, the 82 bhp 1.3 and the 98 bhp 1.6 litre are petrol powered MPi mills which should suit buyers in this sector who don’t really fancy engine architecture when they have to pay for it.

The third engine in the line-up is a powerful 1.9 litre turbo-charged and intercooled direct injection diesel mill sourced from Renault. Delivering a torque figure of 265 Nm between 1,800 and 2,500 rpm, it’s capable of a 119 mph top speed, a zero to 62 mph time of 10.5 seconds and an estimated combined fuel consumption figure of 5.5 litres every 100 km.

The uprating of the Space Star is more a substantial revision than a facelift. And the overall effect is quite stunning. New colour-keyed bumpers, a new grille, a new Three-Diamond logo and trims badges, revised, multiparabola-type halogen headlamps, the altered positioning of the front fog lamps and distinctive circular shaped rear combination lights, make Space Star much sharper to look at - and more in tune with the sporty image Mitsubishi want to portray.

The cabin is pretty well-appointed with acres of useable leg and shoulder room fore and aft. Materials used throughout have a quality feel, though use of a softer-touch plastic in the dashboard make-up might find more favour with motorists.

Entry-level versions receive several enhancements previously available only on higher grades including: force limiter seatbelts up front, colour-keyed inner door handles, 3 three-point rear seatbelts and height adjustable rear headrests. Other improvements to ponder on are: a smaller four-spoke steering wheel, a redesigned console and central armrests for front and rear passengers. 1.3 MPi Space Stars are equipped with 185/65R14 tyres instead of the previous 175/65R14. 1.6 MPi versions feature power windows.

You won’t get many cars as versatile as the tall Space Star when it comes to ferrying passengers and/or their luggage. Rear seats split, recline and slide forward and back. Pushing them into their rearmost position reveals a goodly 370 litres of luggage space and lots of legroom for all concerned. Sliding the rear forward by the permissable 150 mm frees up an additional 80 litres for cargo carrying duties. Folding the seat forward creates a completely flat cargo area and room for 1370 litres of cargo.

Initial feelings from a couple of test runs through Amsterdam and its environs suggest that loyal Mitsubishi fans, appreciative of the brands quality and reliability, will be attracted to the new product which is substantially better than its predecessor.

Our preference in Holland was for the 1.6 litre model which offered more verve, more creature comforts and the more refined and quieter engine. Who knows, we might yet find the 1.3-litre better under irish conditions when we get to road test the range here in late autumn.

As with all Mitsubishi Motors vehicles, the Space Star will come with a three year/100,000 KM warranty, six year anti corrosion warranty and three year pan European breakdown service.