Review of the new Mitsubishi Colt CZT

Being a motoring journalist has its upsides. Having gleaming cars delivered to your door is one of the more obvious. There are also some serious annoyances. One is that friends always ask for car buying advice and then promptly ignore whatever you recommend in favour of something, well, sub optimal. I have a friend who is looking for a quick, inexpensive sports hatch. Every suggestion I made was greeted with a snorted one-word response of profound political incorrectness. Until, that is, we got to the Mitsubishi Colt CZT, at which point he merely looked puzzled.

It's easy to understand his confusion. The Colt CZT isn't a household name in this country and decent, small sporting Mitsubishis have hardly been thick on the ground in the last decade. This seems somewhat odd, because the company ought to have capitalised in some way on the magic of the Lancer Evo range. Evo aside, there hasn't been much in the entire Mitsubishi range to excite the enthusiast. There have been low volume curios, half-heartedly imported from Japan such as the FTO coupe, The Galant VR4 and the Pajero Evolution but nothing with some serious corporate muscle behind it. Until now.

Going directly head to head with the current class leader, the Citroen C2 VTS, the Colt CZT is a little less overt than the French pocket rocket. The one-box body shape is neat and the detailing is subtle. Look closely and you'll spot a beefier front valance, subtle side skirts, a trio of below bumper air intakes plus a high-level roof spoiler. Despite these additions, it's hard to see the CZT becoming a poster child of the Max Power generation. All of which would be great for my friend who dubs such cars irredeemably 'chav'. The price is £12,999.

Although designer Oliver Boulay has had his off days - witness the Maybach limousine - the CZT is nevertheless a very neat piece of penmanship. Stylists have a good deal more leeway when it comes to penning a sexy shape for a three-door car than the rather frumpier five-door shapes. Because the back seats are used less, they can get away with rakish angled window lines and arced tailgate sections. The shape of the CZT reflects this although it's still a bit of a stretch to call it 'coupe like' as Mitsubishi are wont to do.

"The power delivery of the CZT harks back to the old days when such cars were fun with a capital 'f'"

The most notable detail is the rear overhangs or rather the complete absence of them. This gives the CZT a real squat, aggressive, foursquare stance that even the long doors and teardrop profile side windows can do nothing to disguise. There are certain elements of the Peugeot 206 in the glasshouse but it's certainly a very appealing styling job. What's more it shares only its bonnet and front bumper with the five-door model.

The CZT's 148bhp engine features double overhead cams, 16 valves, and an intercooler and will punt it to 60mph in 7.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph. The 210Nm of torque on offer isn't to be sniffed at either: it's more than a Honda S2000 roadster can come up with. With Nissan, Honda, Toyota and Mazda all lacking a credible supermini snorter, the CZT looks the hottest of the Japanese tots. It's quite rare these days to chance across a turbocharged hot hatch and the power delivery of the CZT harks back to the old days when such cars were fun with a capital 'f'. Catch it off boost and it feels a little lethargic but keep stirring the gear stick, keeping the revs above 3,250rpm and it feels cataclysmically quick. Against the clock it's only medium fast, but the dip and surge onrush of power give it far more drama than a car with a more linear power delivery. It feels virtually as quick as a Renaultsport Clio 182, although in fact the CZT probably wouldn't see which way the Renault had gone. Still, it's not inconceivable to imagine that with a little electronics tweaking, this CZT could be a seriously potent car.

The interior detailing reads like a tick list of all the bolt on must-haves in this sector. You get the white dials, the drilled pedals, the leather-trimmed steering wheel, the aluminium bezels and chromed sill plates but despite all of this, the CZT's cabin never really feels convincingly sporting. Much of that has to do with the driving position, which is much more akin to that of a mini-MPV than a sporting car. Get it rolling and confidence soon rises, with plenty of lateral grip and decent body control. The seats are supportive and before too long you'll be exploring the outer reaches of the CZT's handling envelope. There's not too much in the way of steering feel, but the helm is accurate and reasonably quick. Despite the basic look and feel of the cabin architecture, the CZT retains a slightly exotic Japanese feel.

But exactly how Japanese is it? That's a question open to debate. Built in Holland at the Nedcar facility, the Colt range was developed at the specific request of Mitsubishi Motors Europe and styled by Boulay, a Frenchman. Debuting at the Paris Motor Show, it seemed an all-European party and Great Britain was earmarked f or a big proportion of its global sales figures.

Part of the Mitsubishi Colt CZT's appeal is that it has no track record to speak of and therefore no baggage when it comes to image. Given this clean slate, Mitsubishi's designers have created a sporting tot that while not the most instantly appealing car in its class, nevertheless possesses a broad range of qualities that make it worth serious consideration. The CZT has a good deal more personality than the looks would suggest and is a resolutely feel-good funster. It's a credible alternative to the mainstream contenders and represents a decent return to form from Mitsubishi.

TOP 5 MITSUBISHI DEALS

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Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 CZ2 ClearTec 3dr Hatchback
Price £10,078 Read Colt Reviews	Save £106
Mitsubishi Colt 1.1 CZ1 5dr Hatchback
Price £8,978 Read Colt Reviews	Save £166
Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 CZ2 3dr Auto Hatchback
Price £10,188 Read Colt Reviews	Save
Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 CZ2 ClearTec 5dr Hatchback
Price £10,578 Read Colt Reviews	Save £106
Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 CZ2 3dr Hatchback
Price £9,703 Read Colt Reviews	Save
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