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July 25th 1997
 Verada Wagon matches first impressions |
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| First impressions can be misleading, so it
seemed right to approach a few days in Mitsubishi's Verada wagon with a bit of cynicism. It impressed at its unveiling in March of this year, but a few days might reveal shortcomings overlooked in the rush and bustle of a full scale vehicle launch… The test vehicle was a Verada 3.5Ei, top of the wagons as the range-topping 3.5 Xi, lined with timber and leather, and equipped with every possible extra, is available only as a sedan, but Ei wagon is no `poverty-pack'. Like the sedan version of Ei, it lacks a delay on the interior light, compensating with
ignition lock illumination, but has its own fair share of goodies like cruise control,
infinitely variable wipers, climate control, and a 6-speaker stereo with a single CD
player. |
 Verada's bold appearance is matched by class-leading interior space
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| Mitsubishi has developed firmly supportive seats
that combine with the tilt/reach adjustable steering wheel and exceptional legroom to
allow a very comfortable driving position. (Perfect for long trips.) A less obvious, but equally important, consideration is the tailgate which opens up high enough for even tall adults to gain access to the rear without sustaining concussion by banging their head. Ei gets a naked plastic steering wheel, and upholstery in fabric instead of leather, but the most obvious difference is the 3.5 litre V6 fitted to Verada. Similar in design to Magna’s 3.0 litre engine, it produces only seven kW more power but an extra 45Nm of torque. Mitsubishi's INVECS II auto transmission has never quite seemed happy with smaller capacity engines, but really delivers its best with this larger engine's healthier torque. Gear changes under moderate throttle occur so smoothly and quietly that the tachometer needle is sometimes the only clue that it has indeed shifted up. (It is, however, a bit less satisfying if more power is applied in a hurry, occasionally seeming reluctant to down-shift.) We noted at its launch that Verada excelled in terms of Noise/Vibration/Harshness, and this test confirmed that it performed just as well on WA roads as it did on the roads chosen in SA by Mitsubishi; the rumble of coarse chip bitumen is reduced to a low murmer, the engine is really only heard when the accelerator pedal is pressed indecently hard, and the only notable source of wind rustle is from the side mirrors. Handling is almost sedan-like, particularly on gravel roads where this wagon could find itself spending some time, and driven over a wide variety of surfaces and conditions during our test, it returned an average fuel consumption of 10.8L/100km (26mpg). When launched, Verada wagon looked like it had the right stuff for Australian motorists expecting something above the average - first impressions can be misleading, of course, but on this occasion they proved entirely accurate.
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Nuts-N-Bolts - Verada 3.5Ei wagon 