Mitsu Canada to offer both manual and CVT transmissions. What about U.S.?
There seemed to be some question in a few US automotive blogs/websites about whether or not North Americans would get the choice of a manual transmission or just the CVT.
Drivers in other countries may have heard that U.S. drivers in particular - even more than in Canada - overwhelmingly opt for automatic transmissions. They've shunned manuals for years, and they make up just a fraction of new sales. So you can see why this might factor into marketing/options decisions for a car company selling on the west side of the big pond.
However, a Canadian Mitsu dealership has posted this:
It's expected to come with a 1.2L 3 Cylinder engine,
with transmission options of both automatic and manual
Source: http://www.mitsu.ca/mirage.htm
So let's call this "unofficial official" news. (Really, we have to take it with a grain of salt - someone at this same dealership said on YouTube that the car will have a 70 MPG (US) EPA rating, which is let's say a tad optimistic.)
But if it's true, it's really fantastic news for those who enjoy the engagement a manual brings to driving... and for drivers skilled enough in DIY cog swapping to beat the fuel economy of even a well-designed CVT.
Australian and U.K. drivers also get the choice of manual or CVT. The question still remains for the manual-averse US market though.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)