2008 Paris Auto Show: 2009 Mitsubishi Colt

• Toyota, Nissan and Honda need a challenger
• Subcompact, but respectable looking

• Not yet guaranteed to be coming to the U.S.
• Mitsubishi quality still not a given

Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris

The latest generation of the little Mitsubishi Colt hatchback gets a facelift designed around a new "Jet Fighter" grille. And while the Euro-diesel versions of the Colt have been dropped, there's plenty of news to report from Paris. That news runs from the fuel-smart -- a Flex Fuel version of the Colt -- to the fun-filled -- two very cool Ralliart editions.

While compacts are an up-and-coming market in North America, they are the rage of Europe and Japan. Honda and Toyota don't yet dominate those markets, so it's an opportunity for Mitsubishi. Thus, the new Mitsubishi Colt matters like mad to Mitsu in Europe, and it may try to win over some U.S. converts in the near future as well.

Small cars are tough to style -- the smaller, the tougher -- but the new Mitsubishi Colt manages to pull off being cute without being cutesy. The Colt sports Mitsubishi's aggressive headlight and trapezoidal grille treatment -- a look that you can currently catch on the Mitsubishi Lancer -- albeit in a friendlier face on the Colt, which comes in 3-door and 5-door hatchback body styles.

Europeans will likely be attracted to the new hatch because of its Clear Tec "Low C02 Package" engine family (including a 1.1-liter 3-cylinder engine) that incorporates stop-start technology and brake regeneration. Clear Tec replaces diesel in Mitsubishi's European lineup due to the rising cost of diesel fuel and low volume of previous Colt diesel sales.

We always like an underdog, and Mitsubishi is sure an underdog in the U.S. The subcompact Mitsubishi Colt certainly has the looks to be considered in North America, but who wants to go up against the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris -- three daunting pint-sized players? Unless Mitsubishi can load the 2009 Mitsubishi Colt up with features and undercut the Japanese big three by a mile in price, the cute little hatch should be happy staying in Europe.

By Richard Homan and Greg Brown Photo credit: Greg Brown