The small-class vehicle has been around since 1978, when the first generation was introduced to the market. In 2012, the Japanese manufacturer unveiled the sixth generation, which was refreshed for the 2020 model.

In 2012, Mitsubishi introduced the sixth generation of the Mirage. It was a bold move into a market dominated by the European car-makers in Europe and by other Japanese manufacturers on the Asian markets.

The Japanese manufacturer started the Mirage's production in 1978, and the nameplate stayed in production until 2003. The model suffered lots of changes during these years, being sold under different names depending on market. Mirage was used for all the five generations in Japan, however, other markets utilized the name Mitsubishi Colt. As the vehicle was not very popular, it was discontinued in 2003.