First Drive: 2012 Mitsubishi i

Filed under: Hatchback, Mitsubishi, First Drives, Electric

Light Weight, Rear-Wheel Drive And Instant Torque Bubble Up



There are two simple truths about the Mitsubishi i that should help this funky little electric car sell well in the U.S. once it goes on sale later this year. First, it looks like absolutely nothing else on the road today. Second, the car is much more fun than its jellybean shape implies.

The North American-spec i does share its look with versions on sale in Japan and Europe, but this EV is a different beast compared to those models. It's also completely different from the gas-powered kei-car sold only in Mitsubishi's home market, which was named the Japan Car of the Year by the Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference in 2007. It's also completely different from the Japan or Euro-spec electric i-MiEVs (which are also slightly different from each other) that Mitsubishi has been showing off in the U.S. for the past few years. We've had a chance to drive these other models, and you can read our thoughts on the foreign i-MiEV here and here. At this point, though, it's best not to bother - this i is something new.

That's part of the idea, since the i is meant to be distinctive. Love it or hate it, Mitsubishi thinks that this is what electric car buyers want: an electric vehicle that looks like an electric vehicle, even if it comes from gas roots.

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2012 Mitsubishi i originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/26/2012-mitsubishi-i-first-drive-review/

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