The Mitsubishi SUW (Smart Utility Wagon) is a series of concept cars sharing a common design theme and was first exhibited by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors at the 1999 Frankfurt and Tokyo Motor Shows. The Smart Utility Wagon theme was introduced late in 1998 as a demonstration of the company's corporate slogan of the time, "Innovation in Motion," which was itself to represent "smart design" and "ecology conscious[ness]." Specifically, SUWs shared the company's GDI engine technology, a taller roofline for easier entry and exit, and interior space competitive with larger vehicles. The three individual vehicles Mitsubishi produced were the SUW Advance, a five-door hatchback family car, the SUW Compact, a three-door hatchback small car, and the SUW Active sport utility vehicle.
The SUW Compact was designed for urban environments, so compactness and maneuverability were prioritized alongside fuel economy. The Compact was 3,580 mm long, 1,685 mm wide, and 1,515 mm high, and it benefitted from a turning circle of 4.4 m. The powertrain also utilized GDI technology, a 78 PS 1.1 L with ASG (Automatic Stop-Go), a system that turns off the engine when it is idling and restarts it on demand. Combined with its drag coefficient of 0.30, the Compact claimed fuel consumption of 4.5 L/100 km (52.3 U.S. mpg).
Source: Wikipedia
Image Sources: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
