Mitsubishi to put I in its team

As North America gets up to speed with the rest of the world in areas of city congestion, fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions, expect to see more cars like Mitsubishi’s “i” on our city streets.

The “i” car, and others like it, developed in Japan as a result of regulations that require cars of certain sizes, engine displacement and power outputs to have proof of adequate parking (outside urban areas). As more and more European cities became congested, the Japanese companies saw a potential market and began to offer their products in those areas, leading some European companies to develop their own “city” cars. North Americans got their first taste of these cars with the injection of Smart’s Fortwo into the Canadian market in 2004 (2008 in the U.S.).

With the expanding interest in electric vehicles, Mitsubishi has recently announced it would market its MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) in Canada starting as early as fall 2009. Based on the “i”, it bears the name i MiEV. Recently we had the chance to try out electric and gasoline fed derivatives of it.

Both cars were Japanese cars on our shores for evaluation purposes, so they were right hand drive. We’ll stay away from pointing out the quirks of driving such vehicles on our roads. We’ll also dismiss powertrain issues in relation to the internal combusted car since it won’t be available here. Both cars use continuously variable transmissions and mount their respective powertrains just in front of the rear drive wheels, which optimizes cabin space and energy usage.

The electric version drives much the same way as any other electric vehicle – it accelerates slowly but is able to keep up to city traffic without problem; it’s quiet and drives like a normal car; it can attain speeds up to 130 km/h and it boasts a range of up 120 km (depending on loads, speeds, weather, etc.). Our best guess, taking into account Canadian conditions, would be a range equivalent to what other plug-in electric vehicles attain – 50-70 km. Charging can take up to seven hours, although it will adapt to fit into the quick charging and battery-swap infrastructures being developed in other markets, and will likely also come to North America.

In terms of the physical I-car, its looks are a love-or-hate proposition. I like it, many others were curious of them; others despised it.

Inside, it will accommodate four adults comfortably, due to its high cabin. The seats are a modern seamless design, providing comfort over the long run. Rear seat passengers get reclining backrests to allow for better comfort on longer trips. The trunk space is good for a couple briefcases or a week’s groceries and the rear seatbacks fold forward to expand cargo capacity over a relatively flat floor.

In terms of ride, the suspension works well at absorbing light to medium road imperfections but the vehicle gets quite discombobulated over the winter ravaged pavement many of our cities are seeing. Despite its wheels-at-the-corners stance, the I-car is not a great handling vehicle due to the high centre of gravity caused by the car’s upright cabin.

That high cabin, combined with the relatively lightweight mass, also makes it extremely susceptible to cross winds and truck buffeting on the highway. Our gas powered unit had no problem getting up to speed and maintaining it, but it did get tossed around quite a bit.

Which leaves us with the conclusion that we sort of predicted going into the test – I-car has its niche and will satisfy that niche quite nicely, but it isn’t a car for all drivers.