The Colt from Mitsubishi is yet another hatchback that is now found lumped in with a myriad of others in the saturated supermini market. The automobile market is very much sink or swim recently and to stay afloat, it is a must that the car has got to have something a little different or special to attract interest. Let us see if the Mitsubishi Colt be riding along on the crest of a wave or sinking irretrievably amidst the gloomy waters of supermini failure.

The primary impression that will be created on Mitsubishi Colt will

be quite impressive as the exterior ticks boxes you wouldn’t expect it to, as it manages to look solid and chunky, but still can be assured that it could be fitted it into all but the very tightest of parking spaces. The Colt has a tall roof which means that there will be enough room to comfortably seat at least 4 6-foot+ adults; reassuring news if you were ferrying guests to a medical giant’s convention.

The car has elegant interiors, which is relatively basic, but looks smart enough and appears to be of a high manufacturing standard and all the plastics are rigid and will stand up to ham-fisted testing. The seating is quite firm, that makes long journeys a little undesirable. But still as these cars are primarily designed for short city driving, this is not something of big concern.

The Mitsubishi Colt comes in 3 door, 5 door and cabriolet editions and the engines range from 1.1 Litre to 1.5 Litre Petrol. This is quite enough proof for it having no delusions of grandeur about the Colt being adapted into some kind of racing car. This car has been designed with practicality in mind, so the evaluation criteria should be more a question of handling, boot space, economy and ecology.

Tags: Cars, driving, engine, automobile, handling, door, Mitsubishi Colt, adults, ecology, boot space, guest

Nissan brought out Altima, the hot selling car in 2001. The Japanese automaker introduced its second generation in 2006, toughening the sedan’s popularity. With an aim of broadening its overall appeal, Nissan introduced a hybrid version of the car in January. And the much-awaited coupe has at last arrived.

When compared with other coupes, the Altima is not just a two-door version of the sedan. The engineers from Nissan has shortened the wheelbase by 101 mm,

Cut the overall length by 185 mm and lowered the height by 66 mm, giving the coupe a handsome look that could turn heads.

The coupe has the only sheet metal shared between two- and four-door Altimas is the hood. It has been endowed with a pair of idiosyncratic bucket seats with striking side bolsters for extra lateral support. The back of the coupe is a 60/40 split rear bench that extends the cargo space. The feature is ideal for a weekend of skiing or to hold few odds and sods from the store. It has a more conventional parking-brake hand lever substituting the sedan’s foot-operated control.

Power is the other big difference between the models. The base car is equipped with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder that successfully generates 175 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, which is more than enough to be amusing when mated to the six-speed manual box. A big part for the spirited drive is attributed to the transmission’s close ratios and a light, progressive clutch that puts the bite point in the precise place.
 
The suspension is firmer and the steering is also adequately weighted and responsive when turned off-centre. Apart from this, the coupe include the Nissan headlight bulb, a push-button start, the dual-zone climate control, cruise control and heated seats, power mirrors, windows and sunroof, a six-speaker audio system with an auxiliary plug-in, six air bags and standard anti-lock brakes that assures that this enticing model will provide an admirable driving experience on roads.

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