Mitsubishi Colt 1.5 Ralliart 5dr Car Review - February 2012

The Ralliart’s 1.5 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine is easily the most powerful of the range and it has more pace than rivals such as the Renaultsport Twingo and Fiat 500 Abarth. Power credentials are the same as in the three door version with 147 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 155 lb-ft of torque. This translates to a top speed of 131 mph, with 0-62 mph arriving in 7.6 seconds.

The ride quality is reasonable over most surfaces but never truly smooth with broken asphalt and sharp bumps easily felt through the suspension. There is also a large amount of noise generated by the Colt's suspension whilst wind noise is present at motorway speeds and the 1.5 litre turbo engine sounds coarse when stretched.

That said, this model delivers a far more exciting drive than the rest of the Colt range, largely due to its excellent 1.5 litre turbo-charged engine. It tackles corners ably and grips well but the tall shape does produce body lean and the steering is inconsistent.

The car has an uncomplicated exterior design that fails to match some its sleeker rivals but the car is still fairly attractive.

The interior is well put together but the plastics look and feel cheap, however the Ralliart comes with a range of skirts and spoilers that set it apart from the rest of the Colt range.

It boasts 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control, sports seats, upgraded stereo and MP3 connectivity as standard and also comes with steering wheel-mounted stereo controls and front fog lights.

A metallic paint exterior is available at an additional cost.

Both the three door and five door models have enough head and leg room for four tall adults but boot space is still disappointing and this is a real disadvantage for family buyers. With the seats in place there is just 186 litres of space with 609 litres available when seats are folded down.

The Ralliart matches its rivals for safety equipment and provides six airbags, stability control, deadlocks, remote central locking and an immobiliser as standard features. The Ralliart also performs well in the reliability stakes and is offered with a three year warranty.

In terms of practicality, the five door access is a huge benefit and makes getting in and out of the car far easier. The dash is well-organised with large buttons that are easy to use and although the steering column only adjusts for height and not reach the seat offers plenty of adjustment.

The Ralliart is priced at £14,449 which is a competitive price considering the range of equipment on offer and the high fuel efficiency and low running costs. The car has an excellent fuel economy, offering 40.9 mpg and carbon emissions of 161g/km. While these figures are low for a supermini, they are very reasonable considering the Ralliart's sporting credentials.

Insurance premiums fall just over the half way mark in band 28 but overall the affordability offered by this model is good and it is a very cheap way of having a lot of fun behind the wheel.