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Mitsubishi i
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Motors
Production	2006–present
Assembly	Mizushima plant, Kurashiki, Okayama
Class	Kei car
Body style	5-door hatchback
Engine	659 cc DOHC MIVEC 12v I3
Transmission	4-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2550 mm (100.4 in)
Length	3395 mm (133.7 in)
Width	1475 mm (58.1 in)
Height	1600 mm (63.0 in)
Ride height	150 mm (5.9 in)
Curb weight	890–900 kg (1960–1985 lb)
Fuel capacity	35 L (7.7 imp gal, 9.2 U.S. gal)
Designer	Olivier Boulay

The Mitsubishi i (三菱・i, Mitsubishi i^?) is a kei car from Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors first released on January 24, 2006,^[1] twenty eight months after its debut as a concept car at the 60th Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003.^[2] It is the first four door car since the 1960s to employ a "rear midship" setup with the engine behind the passengers, in an attempt to improve safety and interior space without enlarging the overall exterior.^[1][3]

Its innovative layout and styling proved an immediate critical and commercial success, exceeding Mitsubishi's initial sales targets by 20 percent and winning four major awards in its first year.^[4][5] Although designed with the Japanese kei class in mind, the attention it generated has led to its subsequent introduction in right hand drive markets in Asia, Oceania and Europe. It is also speculated to be the basis of the battery electric vehicle Mitsubishi has timetabled for introduction in 2010.^[6][7]

The 2003 Mitsubishi "i" Concept.

Two prototypes were exhibited during the car's development. The first was the "i" Concept, which debuted at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and previewed the car's striking exterior.^[2] Motoring journalists were quick to seize on the distinctive silhouette, calling it "a very good egg",^[8] and a "crystal ball" with which to see the future of Mitsubishi.^[9] One reviewer even speculated it to be an allusion by French-born designer Olivier Boulay to the Renault 4CV, France's popular post-war "people's car" with which the i shared its rear-engined layout.^[9] Its styling was formally lauded when the i won the Grand Prize at the 50th anniversary Good Design Awards from the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in October 2006, the first minicar to win the award.^[10]

Explaining the choice of name, the company claimed that "i" could represent the owner (I, the nominative personal pronoun) as an encouragement to personal expression, or innovation, intelligence and imagination, keywords in the car's development.^[11][12] It was also a play on the Japanese word for love, pronounced /aɪ/.^[13][14]

The 2003 Mitsubishi Se-Ro concept.

The "i" Concept was powered by a 999 cc powerplant with the company's Mitsubishi Smart Idling (MSI) system, which turns off the engine automatically when the vehicle is stationary, and can restart it within 0.2 seconds.^[15] So equipped, Mitsubishi claimed the car was capable of fulfilling the "three litre initiative" for gasoline engines, meaning fuel consumption of no more than 3.0 litres per 100 kilometres (94.2 mpg, 78.4 U.S. mpg).

The second prototype, called the Se-Ro and exhibited at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show, previewed the production model's more conventional mechanical underpinnings, despite having a more radical appearance which bore little resemblance to the final design.^[16] Instead, its polished aluminium body was styled to resemble a zeppelin or airship.^[17][18] The aviation theme continued with the name; Se-Ro, short for "secret room", was a veiled reference to the Mitsubishi Zero fighter aircraft of World War II.^[19]

A lightweight aluminium space frame structure and a rear-engined layout allowed Mitsubishi to incorporate a larger front crumple zone, in order to meet current safety legislation without compromising interior space.^[1] With no powertrain in front of the driver, the designers were able to shorten the front overhang and lengthen the wheelbase to 2550 millimetres (100.4 in), giving greater legroom for passengers than many comparable kei cars whose wheelbase is typically 130–190 millimetres (5.1–7.5 in) less.^[3] The downside of this design was a reduction in cargo-carrying capacity, which was necessarily compromised by the engine's location in the rear.^[20][21]

The engine of the i as seen in cutaway, behind the rear seats and under the floor of the rear hatch storage area.

The i has a "rear-midship" engine mounted just ahead of the rear axle, a highly unusual configuration in a small car where front-engine design has dominated since the 1970s.^[3] The 3B20 three cylinder powerplant has an aluminium cylinder block, a displacement of 659 cubic centimetres, and incorporates double overhead camshafts with MIVEC variable valve timing in the cylinder head. Initially only an intercooled and turbocharged engine was offered, until a naturally aspirated version was introduced for 2007.^[22][23] A four-speed automatic gearbox transmits power to the rear or all four wheels, depending on specification. British distributors have advertised forthcoming imports as being equipped with the INVECS-II semi-automatic transmission, although this remains to be confirmed by the manufacturer.^[24]

MacPherson struts are used in the front suspension, and an unusual three-link De Dion tube/Watt's linkage is used in the rear.^[2] Front discs with anti-lock braking (ABS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) are standard across the range.^[25] In common with many other mid- or rear-engined vehicles its fifteen inch wheels have uneven-sized tires, 145/65 on the fronts and wider 175/55 on the rears, in an effort to minimise the chances of oversteer caused by the rear-biased weight distribution.^[3]

Three individual models, or grades, were available on the car's release in 2006; S, M, and G, in ascending order of price. They all shared the same five-door hatchback body style and turbocharged engine, but offered differing levels of options and standard equipment. In 2007 the base S model was given the new naturally aspirated powerplant, and was positioned below the two new grades, L and LX, whose engine it shared.^[25]

Two Mitsubishi i kei cars photographed together in Japan. The silver i is a dealer model for customers to test drive.

Priced from ¥1,281,000 to ¥1,617,000, Mitsubishi initially aimed for 5,000 cars per month within the domestic market, and managed to exceed its target in its first month by over 1,000.^[5] By the end of 2006, approximately 37,000 had been sold.^[12] The company has already exported the i to Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong and New Zealand,^[26][27] where like Japan they drive on the left, and will introduce it to the United Kingdom on July 1, 2007, aiming for a price of UK£9,000 and a further 1,000 sales per year.^[12][24][28]

Hindustan Motors, a long time partner of Mitsubishi, will also import the i in complete knock down (CKD) kit form to India, where 25,000 cars per year will be assembled at their plant in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for the local market. A locally-produced engine may also be built at the company's facility in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh.^[29]

The Hello Kitty edition of the Mitsubishi i.

From July 25–31, 2006 the company displayed a unique Mitsubishi i Hello Kitty edition at the Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Based on the 2WD G model, it had a pink paint scheme with co-ordinated interior, "Princess Kitty" decals on the doors and windows, a ribbon decal on the roof and Hello Kitty-themed headrests. It was eventually sold in a charity auction on behalf of UNICEF.^[30] Other limited production models include the i Play edition, a run of 3,000 cars only available in white or black, and featuring a dashboard-mounted slot for an iPod nano,^[31][32] and 100 of the i Kurashiki edition with faux denim upholstery, to be sold at a single Mitsubishi dealership in Kurashiki, Okayama, the prefecture where the bulk of Japan's domestic blue jeans manufacturers are located.^[33] 1st Anniversary special editions based on the L and M grades were also introduced in early 2007 to commemorate the car's first year on sale.^[34]

Mitsubishi has given the i a prominent role in the company's alternative propulsion research projects, developing a version using their MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) technology in 2006 and exhibited at the 22nd International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition in Yokohama. MMC plans to provide three power companies with vehicles in 2006 and 2007 in order to evaluate how a "fast-charge" infrastructure might be developed for electric vehicles. Fleet testing by five power companies will be conducted later in 2007,^[35] with a view to public sales beginning from 2010.^[6][7]

Aside from the 2006 Good Design Grand Prix, the i won the 2007 Car of the Year award from the Japanese Automotive Researchers and Journalists Conference (RJC),^[36] and the "Most Advanced Technology" Special Achievement Award at the 2006–07 Japan Car of the Year awards, where it was nominated unsuccessfully in the overall Car of the Year category.^[37] It also ranked first in the Japan Mini-Car Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study published by J.D. Power Asia Pacific in October 2006, with a higher score than any previous winner.^[38]

• Mitsubishi i official site (Japanese). (requires Adobe Flash Player)
• Mitsubishi i specifications (Japanese). Mitsubishi Motors website.
• Mitsubishi i 'M' (2WD) specifications, Mitsubishi Motors website
• "New Mitsubishi Engines Deliver More Power and Reduced Fuel Consumption", Green Car Congress, August 10, 2005
• Mitsubishi/Sanrio website (Japanese).

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