Horseplay

Mitsubishi gave the Colt supermini a thorough workover before bestowing the Ralliart name upon it. Graham Heeps looks at the new baby hot-hatch

The NEDCAR-manufactured Mitsubishi Colt supermini has recently been the subject of a mid-life facelift. Alongside a reprofiled, Lancer-style nose and the addition of a ClearTec low-emissions model to the range, a Ralliart-badged performance derivative has also been introduced, replacing the previous CZT version.

But rather than simply give the CZT a new nose and a new badge, Mitsubishi has comprehensively reworked the car to compete with capable rivals such as the Suzuki Swift Sport. Those changes start with the structure, which has been stiffened in key areas to provide a better platform for the suspension tune.

The strut towers at the front boast increased panel thickness, additional adhesive, reinforcement and spot welding to support increased suspension loads. A brace connects the towers for additional rigidity. At the rear, there’s a new cross member and extra spot welds on the tailgate opening of the five-door version.

The suspension has been completely retuned to improve handling. The improvements at the front include revised ZF-made struts and new top mounts and bumpstops. There’s a thicker anti-roll bar, too: 27mm compared to the outgoing CZT’s 26mm (a standard Colt runs at 22mm). The new front springs are slightly softer at 28N/mm to the CZT’s 30N/mm.

These revisions are complemented by changes at the rear to the Sachs dampers, their bump rubbers and top mounts. There are new springs here, too. At 25N/mm they are a little stiffer than the CZT’s 23N/mm (standard Colt: 19.6N/mm).

As a result of this package of changes, Mitsubishi is claiming to have substantially reduced body roll, with related benefits for steering linearity and stability.

The newcomer is available in both three- and five-door body styles. Both feature a 147bhp, 1.5-liter MIVEC turbocharged engine that propels the ‘baby Evo’ to 131mph, with 62mph (100km/h) reached from rest in around 7.5 seconds. With the enhanced performance on offer, the Colt Ralliart features an upgraded braking system with 279mm ventilated front discs and 249mm rears, and has EBD as standard. The car rides on 16 x 6.5 alloys with Continental SportContact2 205/45 rubber.

VDI says

We liked the Ralliart, which represents a clear step forward from the CZT in terms of its NVH performance and steering quality. There’s a suppleness to the ride at speed too, although the car crashes over anything with a sharp edge. Competitors include the Renault Twingo RS, which we feel lacks the Colt’s refinement and maturity, and the excellent Suzuki Swift Sport.