which makes its worldwide debut next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, is a little bigger in every dimension than the Japanese market Mitsubishi i-MiEV we’ve been driving (and loving) for three weeks. The egg-shaped kei car they’re driving overseas is a tiny little thing, but not at all uncomfortable. It probably wouldn’t play in Peoria.

Mitsu says the added length and girth “secure plenty of space for four adults and better meet the expectations of U.S. consumers.”

Although the car retains the Mitsubishi i-MiEV’s distinctive styling, it gets more aggressive bumpers and wheels. The interior is a little more upscale, as are the amenities — a good thing, because the model we’ve been driving is a bit Spartan. The U.S. model gets a tire-pressure monitoring system and traction control as standard equipment. Look for a nicer stereo system and improved HVAC as well. Mitsubishi’s probably got some other tricks in the bag but won’t share them until the L.A. show.

Running down the numbers, the North American i-MiEV is a tad over 12 feet long, a bit more than 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall, giving the car a square profile when you look at it from the front. That makes it about a foot shorter than the Honda Fit but roughly the same width and height. It also is 11.2 inches longer, 5.2 inches wider and just a hair taller than the Japanese-spec car.

No word on any changes to the powertrain specs. We’ve heard the American model will offer more power and range than the Japanese-spec car, which has a real-world range of about 60 to 70 miles from a 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack. The motor produces 64 horsepower. Despite the relatively paltry figures, we’ve had no problem with range anxiety and no trouble keeping up with Bay Area traffic — even on the insanity that is the I-80. We’ve found the i-MiEV to be a great urban commuter.

Look for a price below $30,000 after the federal EV tax credit and any incentives your state might offer when the car becomes available next year.

Now if Mitsubishi will just do something about the name which, frankly, sucks.

Photos: Mitsubishi

See Also:

• Mitsubishi i-MiEV Out-Smugs Prius
• Mitsubishi’s Little EV Gets Bigger and Fancier
• Our Little i-MiEV Gets Dissed
• EV Days Are Here Again
• 11 Trailblazing Electric Vehicles

The North American model retains the i-MiEV’s egg-like shape but is a little bigger in all dimensions. It also gets more aggressive bumpers and wheels.

The car we’ll see gets a slightly more upscale interior, with an integrated audio system (the stereo in the JDM car we’re driving looks tacked on) and a slicker center stack.

For the sake of comparison, this is what the JDM car looks like.

And here’s the interior of the JDM car.

Authors: Chuck Squatriglia

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