1999 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE NAMED AMONG MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS CARS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Lists Mirage as One of Top 12 "Greenest" Vehicles

CYPRESS, Calif., - The 1999 Mitsubishi Mirage was named one of the top 12 "greenest" vehicles in 1999 by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) today, the second consecutive year the vehicle has won the award. Providing consumers with comprehensive environmental ratings for every 1999 vehicle sold in the United States, ACEEE's Green Guide to Cars and Trucks recognized the Mirage Coupe and Sedan DE equipped with a 1.5-liter engine, manual transmission, and CA/NLEV vehicle emissions for its energy-efficiency.

The ACEEE bases its ratings on a vehicles' environmental impacts, including air pollution, global warming, fuel efficiency and other specifications. Designed to set new standards of environmental sensitivity and affordability, Mirage was determined by Green Guide to Cars and Trucks to have excelled by being cleaner and more fuel-efficient. With an economical base price of $11,150 for the Mirage Coupe DE, Mirage gives consumers looking for style and value combined with environmental sensibility an attractive option.

"The Mirage is only one example of the efforts Mitsubishi Motors is taking to align its business activities with the responsibility to preserve and protect the environment," said Kim Custer, director, public affairs and corporate communications for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America (MMSA). "In addition to our efforts to design environmentally friendly vehicles, we take steps to recycle and reduce waste at our corporate offices. And through our corporate giving programs, we share this value with the youth of our community."

Designed to preserve the earth's limited resources and to protect the environment, the Mirage Coupe's available air conditioning system uses R134a refrigerant, and non-chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) urethane is specified for the padding and steering wheel. The Mirage is also potentially recyclable, with most of its plastic parts made from thermoplastics and stamped with a code to indicate their material for easier recycling at the end of the vehicle's service life. Other design features include engine modifications aimed at reducing emissions.