Tiny Mitsu makes a big impression

Mitsubishi's i feels much larger than it is and gets lots of pep from its 659-cc engine
DAVID BOOTH, CanWest News Service

There was none of the expected drama. I had no trouble holding 140 kilometres per hour. Nor was there any trouble keeping up with normal traffic in town.
Oh, sure, passing long semis took planning, but with just a little less performance than Toyota's Yaris, the tiny four-door had enough pep to at least keep from getting run over. Normally, Mitsubishi Canada might be upset at such faint praise. But, considering I'm talking about the company's tiny i, powered by a 660-cubic-centimetre (actually 659 cc - when it's this small, every cc matters) engine, being able to keep up with traffic is more than to be expected. In fact, the Mitsubishi kei (Japan's ultra-compact segment of cars designed for Tokyo's choking traffic) is governed for that top speed of 140 km/h. Given its head, the high-revving (and turbocharged) little three-banger would accelerate all the way to, okay, maybe 10 km/h more. Still, that's miles ahead of the Smart car the i so resembles.
Read full article here.