Mitsubishi introduced the third generation of the Mirage-based Colt in 1988, and in the three-door version, it was just a small-segment vehicle, while its four-door brother was the famous Lancer.
When the Japanese carmaker tried to expand its model range, it focused on affordable cars. Its target was to have as many cars on the roads as possible. That’s why it focused on the small-segment vehicles, and the Colt was one of its most important pieces of the puzzle.

Apart from the sportier versions, the rest of the range was rather dull than daring. Its front fascia was the part that showed more personality, thanks to its narrow headlights and swept-back turn signals. It wasn’t that much different from other cars from that era with a flat, vertical, narrow, and black grille. At least, its wrapped-around plastic bumper featured a black rubber strip on its upper section while the rest of it was body-colored. Mitsubishi’s designers extended an apron on the lower side and even offered it with big air intakes in the middle and sides. The car’s profile was typical for a Japanese hatchback, with wide doors and a big glass area between the B- and raked-forward C-pillar.

Inside, there was also little room for creativity from the carmaker’s design team. The flat dashboard featured a raised area in front of the driver, with the instrument panel inside. A pair of bucket seats with little bolstering supported the front passengers, while in the back, a split-folding seatback could accommodate two passengers.

Under the hood, Mitsubishi installed a choice of four gasoline engines with different power outputs, depending on the market. Apart from the base version, which sported a four-speed gearbox, the rest of the range featured a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.