1990-1994 Mitsubishi Precis: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Closely related to the newly redesigned Hyundai Excel, the mini-sized Mitsubishi Precis hatchback was built in South Korea and introduced to the U.S. market in spring 1987. Excel also came in 4-door sedan form, but Mitsubishi offered only the hatchback. The lineup shrank in 1990 from six models and two body styles, to just a pair of 2-door hatchbacks: base and RS. Mitsubishi no longer needed the Precis to meet voluntary import quotas, as the Mirage was now produced in Illinois. Precis remained Mitsubishi's price leader, however. Mirage and Precis differed in styling, but were close in dimensions and mechanical specifications. Precis and the Hyundai Excel were derived from an earlier Mirage design, using a similar front-drive chassis and mechanical components. Precis used the same 81-horsepower, 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that went into the Mirage, as well as the same 4- and 5-speed manual transmissions. The automatic-transmission option for Precis was a 4-speed overdrive unit, while the Mirage made do with a 3-speed automatic.