The Mitsubishi Space Star, one of the last mini gasoline city cars on the market, will disappear in mid-2025. If the Colt will take over for a while, it could well be that the future electric generation will be supplied by…Renault.
Among the few models that still make up the Mitsubishi range in France, the Space Star is the oldest.
One of the last mini thermal city cars on the market
This mini A-segment city car, which competed with the Citroën C1, Volkswagen Up, Renault Twingo and Kia Picanto, was launched in its current form in 2013, codenamed “Mirage” internationally. In France, where it replaced the old Colt derived from the Smart Forfour, it has been for several years the best-selling model by the brandwith 1,043 copies sold last year. It must be said that it is one of the last small thermal cars on the market, its competitors having either been converted to electric or withdrawn from the market. There is another reason for this, which is that Mitsubishi, which was supposed to leave Europe in 2018 before finally changing its mind, has suffered a severe lack of new products in recent years. With the exception of the Eclipse Cross which already dates from 2017, and the new Outlander coming soonthe rare new models to have been launched by the Japanese manufacturer here are the ASX and the Colt, but which are Renault models (Captur and Clio) which have barely been rebagged. The Space Star still appears in the catalog, with a single gasoline engine (non-hybridized) of 71 horsepower, and an unbeatable sale price of €15,990. It is, in fact, one of the cheapest models on the French market.
The Renault Twingo as a basis for the future Eclipse Cross?
However, the little city car is not eternal, and it will be removed from the range next year. Already because she has difficulty hiding her twelve years of age, but above all because the European Union imposed new rules on the automobile market this summer. The GSR2 regulation provides that all new cars marketed in Europe must be equipped with several driving aids and safety equipment. Direct consequence: many brands have eliminated their small models, others have increased their prices to rebalance the cost of installing new equipment. Mitsubishi Motors did not wish to adapt the Eclipse Cross to the GSR2but can however continue to sell it in Europe for some time, because the number of units sold is very low and makes it a marginal model in the eyes of the EU. But not for long, as production of the Space Star will end by the end of the year, and its last units allocated to Europe have been delivered. The brand still has enough to last with its current stocks until summer 2025date on which the model will permanently disappear from dealerships and the online configurator. We already find some €14,010 on the Mitsubishi Motors France store!
But then, who to replace her? Initially, it is the Mitsubishi Clio, sorry Colt, which will take over the interim. Later, from 2026, it is rumored that Mitsubishi could recover the future electric Renault Twingoto market it in his name in Europe. This would make sense, already because Nissan, which is the majority shareholder of Mitsubishi Motors (34%), will also rebag the Twingo, but also because the partnership between MMC and Renault is going well, with the upcoming arrival of two new models, based on the Symbioz and the Scénic E-Tech. Why not a fifth Renault model badged Mitsubishi?
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