A NEW range of low emission cars for drivers on a budget is being released by Mitsubishi.

Every version of the Mirage supermini will deliver tax free motoring for private buyers and top class fuel economy claimed to be up to almost 70mpg.

Priced from £8,999 the Mirage becomes the new baby of the Mitsubishi line up and replaces the popular Colt - a no frills car which gained a loyal following over many years.

The Mirage is in a similar no nonsense vein and is getting a kick start with Mitsubishi discounting the price by £1,000 until the end of June.

That brings the top specification Mirage automatic down to £11,999 and the manual model we tried to £10,999.

Powered by a 1.2-litre three cylinder engine developing 79bhp the Mirage needs to be worked through the gears to get up to speed on a motorway but once there it will cruise happily.

In manual form it comes with a five speed box and around town there is good enough pull at low revs. Economy is aided by a stop/start system backed up by an eco gauge on the dash to help the driver monitor real time fuel efficiency.

This version has a CO2 rating of 100g/km and an official fuel return of 65.7mpg which proved to be on the optimistic side. We saw only 48 to the gallon on a rural run which didn't take in much traffic.

Surprisingly it is the automatic with its CVT box which is the most economical with a combined fuel return of 68.9mpg and a CO2 figure down to 95g/km.

The auto will be on sale in May and the better economy will help offset the higher price which is likely to make it popular with older drivers.

The Mirage has no bad manners but there is noticeable road noise over poor surfaces, yet, for the money, no one is going to complain.

It does the job adequately while on the equipment front the high grade Mirage 3 includes automatic air conditioning, a starter button and keyless entry, parking sensors and electric windows front and back.

Automatic lights and wipers, 15-inch alloys, fog lamps and a leather covered steering wheel that is nice to the touch are also standard kit.

The only extras are metallic paint - and there are some vibrant colours including a vivid green and a dark red finish - and Bluetooth connectivity.

Inside there is a good amount of room, especially in the back, and all versions are five door hatches.

The dash is neatly laid out with a small parcel shelf above the glove box which also houses a USB port for music players.

Boot space runs from 235 litres to 600 litres, average for a supermini, and the 7.5 gallon tank should give the car a range of almost 500 miles between fill ups.

Lightweight construction - the Mirage weighs in at just 845 kilos which is less than its key rivals such as the Nissan Micra and Toyota Yaris - and good aerodynamics not only help the Mirage's economy but also give it a theoretical top speed of 112mph and a 0 to 60 acceleration of 11.7 seconds which, on paper, makes it the quickest of the bunch.

In reality you would have to go some to get anywhere near that performance but nevertheless it is an easy car to drive and its turning circle of 30 feet is the tightest in this class of vehicle.

It is easy to manoeuvre but while forward and side visibility is excellent, large rear pillars impact on reversing and the parking sensors are essential.

The entry level Mirage uses a one-litre version of the three cylinder engine, which although not as powerful returns 67.3 to the gallon according to Mitsubishi, and while it comes with less kit - and no air conditioning - it is a keen buy for undemanding motorists.

Higher grade Mirage 2 and Mirage 3 cars, even without the discount, are bang on the money and with a three year, unlimited mileage warranty plus the option of three years' servicing for £375, this is a car which looks a safe bet.