The Mitsubishi Mirage Dingo is a mini MPV built from 1998 to 2003 on a shortened version of the Mirage platform. It seated five in two rows, and it was licence-built in China as the Hafei Saima from 2001 to 2014.
Mitsubishi Mirage Dingo at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1998–2003 |
| Platform | shortened Mirage |
| Seats | five, in two rows |
| First engine | 4G15 Orion 1.5-litre GDI |
| Gearbox | INVECS-II four-speed automatic |
| From 2000 | 1.3-litre without GDI and 1.8-litre 4G93, INVECS-III CVT |
| Rear seats | 50-50 split, sliding, folding or removable |
| Chinese version | Hafei Saima, 2001–2014 |
| Name | from bingo, with D for the diamond badge |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mirage Dingo, which is short.
History of the Mitsubishi Mirage Dingo
Bingo with a D
The name comes from bingo and its suggestion of good fortune, with the B replaced by D for Mitsubishi’s diamond logo; it also happens to be the name of the Australian wild dog. In Japan the car was sold through the Car Plaza chain, and its exterior and interior were very close to those of the Mitsubishi Dion, another Japanese MPV of the period.
The Dingo was a five-seater in two rows, like most of its direct rivals. The rear bench was split 50-50, and each half could slide forwards or backwards on its own; the seats could be folded or removed to make a large flat load area, or flipped down to form a pair of beds. Because the gear lever was mounted on the column there was no transmission tunnel, so people could walk between the front and rear seats.
Engines and the Chinese Saima
At first the only engine was the 4G15 Orion 1.5-litre with gasoline direct injection, mated to an INVECS-II four-speed automatic. A facelift in 2000 added a smaller 1.3-litre unit without direct injection and a larger 1.8-litre 4G93, together with Mitsubishi’s INVECS-III continuously variable transmission.
In China the Mirage Dingo was licence-built and sold as the Hafei Saima from April 2001 until 2014, which gave the little MPV a much longer life there than in Japan, where production ended in 2003.
Design and features
- Short Mirage base: a compact MPV on a shortened Mirage platform.
- Flexible rear bench: a 50-50 split bench that slides, folds, tips or comes out.
- Column gear lever: no transmission tunnel, so the cabin is walk-through.
- GDI first: the 1.5-litre direct-injection engine was the original unit.
- Long Chinese life: built as the Hafei Saima until 2014.
Mitsubishi Mirage Dingo versions
- 1.5 GDI (1998): the original engine with a four-speed automatic.
- 2000 facelift: 1.3 and 1.8-litre engines and a CVT.
- Hafei Saima: Chinese licence-built version, 2001–2014.
The Dingo used the platform of the Mirage and was closely related to the Dion. Its successor in spirit was the Colt, and more cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Mirage Dingo, English Wikipedia: design, interior, engines, Chinese version
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