A FUN DRIVE THAT RETAINS ITS VALUE; NEW REG Mitsubishi.

The Mitsubishi Colt is unquestionably the Japanese marque's best stab at a supermini to date and the importers are hoping that revised styling, an improved specification and a brighter interior will keep it current.

The car could use an injection of excitement with even the sporty Ralliart model hardly firing the imagination, but otherwise it's a well built, reliable and spacious choice.

The mainstream Mitsubishi Colt supermini models are offered with a 74bhp 1.1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine or a 94bhp four-cylinder 1.3-litre powerplant. The rangetopping model is the Ralliart, which is powered by a 147bhp turbocharged 1.5-litre unit.

Go for the CZC Cabriolet and you get a 107bhp 1.5-litre petrol unit only; there are no diesels.

Five speed manual gearboxes are fitted as standard but a six-speed Allshift automated manual is also available should you want to splash out.

This is a fun little car to drive with a grippy front end, accurate steering and a first class gearshift. When you do get your foot down, the engines can become a little raucous but it's nothing too over the top, and the powerplants offer decent refinement so long as you don't ask too much of them.

The turning circle is surprisingly tight for what is one of the larger superminis out there with the wheel-at-each-corner layout helping on this score.

On a practical level, the Colt cabin feels spacious but it should do in light of exterior dimensions on the 5-door version that are on the large side and a wheelbase of 2,500mm.

Passenger accommodation is very good, though boot space isn't as extensive as you might expect.

The interior displays a certain amount of innovation and seems tough enough but the plastics miss that quality that makes you feel good about the class leading supermini products.

There's no longer a diesel option, so it's just as well that at 48 and 46mpg respectively, the 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol models are reasonably economical.

The 1.5-litre turbo unit in the CZT returns 41mpg with 161g/km emissions. The 1.1-litre unit is the most economical petrol with 51mpg and 130g/km.

Mitsubishi has a reputation for reliability which extends to the Colt, a car that has performed strongly in customer satisfaction surveys and retains a firm grip on its value in the used car market. Buyers can expect to recoup between 30 and 40 per cent of their car's value after a typical three-year ownership period.

No, the Mitsubishi Colt still isn't the most charismatic of cars. What it does represent is a spacious supermini that nevertheless has its own identity, one that's very well built, fun to drive and which won't crash in value the moment you drive it off the dealer's forecourt.

FAST FACTS

CAR: Mitsubishi Colt range

PRICES: pounds 7,584-pounds 11,450 - on the road

INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-14

CO2 EMISSIONS: 130- 157g/km

PERFORMANCE: 1.3 0-60mph 11.1s/Max Speed 111mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: 1.3 (urban) 38.2mpg/(extra urban) 58.8mpg/(combined) 48.7mpg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Front airbags, ABS with E BD.