This week, I was excited to be testing the 2015 Mitsubishi iMiEV electric car. Other Gas 2 writers checked out earlier versions of the tiny EV, but 2014 brought a freshened interior, upgraded sound, and a lower price to the table. Would that be enough to make me fall in love with the little Mitsu, run out to the dealer and buy one? Let’s see!
How We Met + First Impressions
As a fan of strange and ridiculous things, I’ve been something of an admirer of the iMiEV for years. It was always a bit “out there”, stylistically, and totally unafraid of being itself in the face of whatever theMean Girl larger car companies were putting out there as an EV/hybrid “look”. Still, by most accounts the car had a relatively short effective range- much less than the Kia Soul EV, for example- and that was a bit of a concern.
I guess you could say that I was hopeful. I wasn’t totally and completely sold on the Mitsubishi iMiEV going into our first date, but I really wanted to like the car.
What I Learned
Despite sharing a common badge with cars like the Lancer Evolution and Mirage, this Mitsubishi was clearly developed in a different time, for a different place. Even beyond the styling, the car has a very European feel- in the sense that the super-light doors slam shut with a “tink” that reminded everyone who heard it of an old Fiat or Opel. Still, the car had the basics covered: AC, power windows/locks, and a modern infotainment system with NAV and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Mitsubishi iMiEV ticked a lot of the right boxes, in other words. It was visually interesting, if not beautiful. It had a playful and bohemian vibe, even if it wasn’t exactly built to the bank-vault standards of a Mercedes-Benz. And, perhaps best of all, it was wearing a retina-searing shade of electric blue that made it really stand out from the crowd- in a good way. I’m definitely looking forward to getting to know the little iMiEV a whole lot better!
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