Despite their size, compact cars offer Filipino families an enjoyable ride with relatively-decent features. That said, it is not difficult to understand why many local car buyers choose these cute city cars over their larger counterparts.
Today, we look at two of the country’s sought-after compact vehicles: the Suzuki S-Presso and the Mitsubishi Mirage. Find out which car is better as we pit them against each other.
While both the Suzuki S-Presso and the Mitsubishi Mirage are compact cars, they’re not exactly apples to apples. One is marketed as a mini sport utility vehicle (SUV) while the other is touted as a mini hatch.
At a glance, the Suzuki S-Presso does give off some solid SUV vibes. At the front is a grille that harks back to the styling cues of the third-generation Jimny. It also has a large bumper that seemingly makes the mini SUV look tall. It gets two halogen multi-reflector headlamps at the front and LED rear combination lamps at the back.
The Suzuki S-Presso rides on 14-inch alloy wheels. It also boasts a high ground clearance of 180 millimeters (mm).
As for the Mitsubishi Mirage, the hatchback dons the dated front grille paired with the likewise old pair of headlights and taillights. Other notable exterior features include its tailgate spoiler with a high-mounted brake lamp, its 15-inch alloy wheels, and its overall aerodynamic design.
It’s not every day you get see a compact car with an attitude as big as an SUV. That said, we give this round to the Suzuki S-Presso.
Upon opening its doors, the Suzuki S-Presso greets its driver with seats finished in vinyl and fabric. Its steering wheel and shift knob are both finished in durable and easy-to-clean urethane material. Similarly, the dashboard, its door trims, and other interior surfaces are made from hard plastic.
The instrument panel of the Suzuki S-Presso is located dab smack in the middle of the dash. Pretty much like the infotainment system fitted in Mini cars, the instrument cluster as well as the standard (yes standard) seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system are housed in a circular panel.
And for those particular with in-car technology, the Suzuki S-Presso is fitted with manual windows at the rear.
The Mitsubishi Mirage also has seats made of similar materials. Its interior also has surfaces that have plenty of hard plastics. However, unlike the Suzuki S-Presso, the Mitsubishi Mirage is fitted with a smaller 6.75-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Because of its slightly larger infotainment system, we give the round again to the Suzuki S-Presso.
Under the hood of the Suzuki S-Presso is a 1.0-liter gasoline engine mated to a five-speed manual automatic. This setup makes 67 horsepower (hp) and 90Nm of pulling power.
The Mitsubishi Mirage packs a more powerful 1.2-liter mill which can be mated to either a five-speed manual gearbox or to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Regardless of the transmission, this setup makes 76 horses with 100Nm of torque.
With a more powerful engine and better transmission options, we give this round to the Mitsubishi Mirage.
In terms of safety, the Suzuki S-Presso gets decent features like an anti-lock braking system (ABS), rear parking sensors, seatbelts, and front SRS airbags. It also uses Suzuki’s Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) which helps protect the cabin in the event of a collision by efficiently absorbing and dispersing energy.
Meanwhile, the Mitsubishi Mirage comes with SRS airbags, seatbelts, and side impact beams.
Out of the box, the Suzuki S-Presso offers more safety features than the Mitsubishi Mirage. Befittingly, we give this round to the so-called mini SUV.
With more wins earned than the Mitsubishi Mirage, the Suzuki S-Presso comes in as a better compact car than the former. Many fans are impressed with its tall stature and its high ground clearance giving the Suzuki S-Presso a solid can-do attitude.
The Suzuki S-Presso is currently sold in two variants: the S-Presso GL and the S-Presso GL Special Edition (SE). They are priced at P563,000 and P588,000, respectively. Likewise, the Mitsubishi Mirage comes in two trims, Mirage GLX MT and Mirage GLX CVT. They are priced at P711,000 and P772,000, respectively.
Photos from Suzuki and Mitsubishi
Also read:
Dynamic duo: The two variants of the Mitsubishi Mirage
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