iCar turns heads - very slowly

"What planet are you from?"

"Mister, your car looks funny!"

"Is that the new Smart?"

This is a small sampling of things heard during a week of piloting this ovoid alien space pod, officially known as the Mitsubishi iCar. And the reason why I was privy to all this sidewalk banter is that, like all good alien space pods, the iCar's steering wheel is on the wrong side. As such, with the driver's transparent sliding portal retracted, I could handily respond to the Earthlings.

"No, this is not a new Smart. It's actually quite a bit smarter."

Before all you pump-shocked greenies stampede down to the local Mitsubishi store to purchase this three-cylinder, fuel-sipping, forward-thinking four-seater, I must break the bad news: This is the only iCar in Canada, and will probably remain as such. Mitsubishi Canada has no importation plans.

A pity really. The iCar (or simply the "i" as it's know in Japan) was voted the 2007 Car of the Year by the Automotive Researchers and Journalists Conference of Japan and also won the Good Design Grand Prize that year.

Like the Smart Fortwo, the iCar has a three-cylinder gas engine tucked between the rear axles – in this case a turbo 660 cc unit generating 63 hp and 69 lb.-ft. at 3000 rpm. Unlike the Smart's lurching five-speed sequential transmission, this Mitsu has a smooth-shifting four-speed auto.

The iCar's acceleration is hardly thrilling, but it will most certainly leave the Smart choking in its dust. It has a much smoother ride too, thanks to its longer wheelbase.

But most importantly, the iCar will accommodate four adults, or with the rear seats folded, a fair bit of cargo. I managed to fit in a load of musical equipment for a drive to a recording studio in Lagoon City.

Heading up on the highway, however, it became clearly evident this Shih Tzu of a Mitsu is not built for inter-galactic ... er, inter-city travel. The Warp-Drive four-speed is geared for in-town zippiness, so at 120 km/h the turbo-three spins at a furious 4,400 rpm. I did manage a respectable 6.6 L/ 100 km fuel consumption, though.

It also gets pushed around by cross winds. I'm guessing much of this has to do with the skinny front tires, which, like in the Smart, keep the tall narrow micro-car in terminal understeer mode while cornering so it doesn't turn turtle.

If it did, you'd see a turtle-like aero-smooth underbelly and turtle-like power at all four corners. Yes, this is a 4WD model iCar, and will send power to the front wheels via a viscous coupling if the conditions dictate.

The cheery red seats are very comfortable, and the view through the huge sloping windshield is positively panoramic. The dash layout is simple and very clever. A digital speed readout floats within the large tachometer, and there is a centrally located touch screen for navigation and audio.

It might do other things as well, but everything was labelled in Japanese. My kids got a kick out of the navigation, which had us driving into Japanese lakes. Sadly, I couldn't get the voice activated.

While the hard interior plastics spell cost-cutting, other features surprise – like keyless entry and start, auto climate control, express up and down windows, an iPod dock and adjustable headlamps.

I got used to driving with the steering wheel on the right quite quickly, but this arrangement is apparently hardest for those riding shotgun. My wife lasted all of five minutes and then she had me take her home. My golden retriever, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed the experience of "driving" this car around downtown Oakville with her head hanging out the window. A traffic stopper, that was.

Mitsubishi has no plans to bring the iCar to Canada, although Tokyo is continuing to develop this vehicle and is testing an electric version called the iMiev.

Freelance auto reviewer Peter Bleakney can be reached at pebleakney@sympatico .ca

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