1999 Mitsubishi SUW Compact

The Smart Utility Wagon theme was introduced late in 1998 as a demonstration of the company’s corporate slogan of the time, "Innovation in Motion", which was itself to represent "smart design" and "ecology conscious[ness]". Specifically, SUWs shared the company’s GDI engine technology, a taller roofline for easier entry and exit, and interior space competitive with larger vehicles. The three individual vehicles Mitsubishi produced were the SUW Advance, a five door hatchback family car, the SUW Compact a three door hatchback small car, and the SUW Active sport utility vehicle.

The SUW Compact was designed for urban environments, so compactness and manouverability were prioritised alongside fuel economy. The Compact was 3,580 mm long, 1,685 mm wide and 1,515 mm high, and it benefitted from a turning circle of 4.4 m. The powertrain also utilised GDI technology, this time as a 78 PS 1.1 L with ASG (Automatic Stop-Go), a system which turns off the engine when it is idling and restarts it on demand. Combined with its drag coefficient of 0.30, the Compact claimed fuel consumption of 4.5 L/100 km (52.3 U.S. mpg).