Introduced in 1978, this Mitsubishi nameplate began as a compact, fuel-conscious passenger car developed in the wake of the first oil crisis. It was conceived as a small, efficient model with Mitsubishi’s then-new front-engine, front-wheel-drive packaging, and it quickly became an important entry in the company’s Japanese lineup. Over its original run, the car evolved through several distinct generations, moving from the early hatchback concept into broader body styles and more mainstream compact-car roles. Mitsubishi’s own history notes that the fifth-generation version went out of production in 2000, marking the end of the first era of the nameplate.
After that gap, the name returned in 2012 on a very different car: a modern global compact designed around affordability, low running costs and efficiency. This revived model was launched first in Thailand and then expanded into other markets, carrying the same historic badge into a new era of small-car development. The later Mirage was positioned as a practical, value-focused hatchback, with a sedan derivative introduced in some markets under the same family line. Mitsubishi also used the revival to emphasize the model’s role as an eco-minded, city-friendly car for markets where simple, economical transportation matters most.
Because the badge was used in two separate production eras, the Mirage history is best understood as an early Japanese compact lineage followed by a long-later global revival rather than a single uninterrupted model run. The nameplate has remained associated with Mitsubishi’s smallest mainstream passenger cars and with the company’s long-standing focus on efficient urban mobility.