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The Mirage is no mirage at Mitsubishi Motors.

As an all-new coupe and sedan, the 1997 Mirage redefines the concept of a subcompact.

Nothing in the two models has escaped the scrutiny of Mitsubishi’s designers and engineers.

As a result, both models are slightly wider, the powertrains redefined and the aerodynamic styling takes on stronger character lines.

The sedan’s wheelbase comes in at 98.4 inches, and the overall length at 173.6 inches. The coupe, which can carry five, stands on a wheelbase usually seen on two- seater sports cars. Its length is 95.1 inches, with an overall length of 168.1.

The new Mirage sort of illustrates the adage “Good things come in small packages.” The entry-level Coupe DE and Sedan DE are well-equipped, including such amenities as textured vinyl upholstery with cloth inserts for the coupe and full cloth for the sedan.

Designers had the good sense to make a tachometer with the five-speed gearbox in the DE or LS-trim level sedan. The tach also is standard in an LS coupe, but for some reason it’s not offered in the DE.

Style-wise, I’d say an LS coupe is a pretty racy looking job, more so than the sedan whose nose, grille opening and headlight treatment give it a more formal appearance.

Prices begin at $11,110 for the DE Coupe. But I’d say the $13,210 LS coupe is a better package. It has more engine than the DE, more comfort and convenience items, 14-inch alloy wheels and a better trim level.

Mitsubishi offers two engines for the Mirage: a 1.5-liter (89.5 cubic inch/1,468 cc) in the DE and a 1.8-liter (111.8 cubic inch/1,834 cc) in the LS model. That’s a difference between 92-horsepower and 93 foot pounds of torque for the 1.5, and 113 horsepower and 116 foot pounds of torque for the 1.8.

Obviously, this kind of power isn’t going to set records at Indianapolis Raceway Park’s U.S. Nationals drag-racing championships. But with only 2,100 to 2,300 pounds of weight, the car’s performance has some zip to it.

Mitsubishi adheres to the single-overhead-cam form of valve train design, using roller-type rocker arms. The 1.5-liter is a four-cylinder engine with three valves per cylinder, two intakes and one exhaust. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder utilizes the basic 16-valve layout of two intakes and two exhausts.

The Mirage’s strong suit is fuel consumption. There is no complaint here, as a DE coupe with a five-speed gets 33 mpg city and 40 mpg on the highway. A LS coupe with a four-speed automatic is not all that far behind at 27 mpg/33mpg.