Mirrow Cars Set To Do The Little Big City Car

By Craig Hale, May 16, 2016

A Russian based start-up company will be heading to Mondial de l’Automobile in October with a prototype that will aim rival four-seat city cars like the Smart ForFour and iconic Fiat 500. Unlike its modern rivals, the Mirrow Provocator is just short of 205 cm tall, a good foot taller than the average person. It measures just under 2.7 metres long, exactly the same as the Smart ForTwo. Mirrow Motors says the car is neither long nor small, with exterior dimensions similar to some SUVs, interior dimensions on par with minivans and a driving position close to that of the Mercedes E-Class.

Inside, inspiration clearly comes from aeroplanes. The four seats sit either side of a central aisle where headroom is at its best to facilitate free movement inside. Four side doors make for emergency exits only and are quite awkwardly positioned at such an angle that you’d have to clamber out in a very undignified manner.

In all fairness, they provide an adequate level of structural rigidity. That’s why Mirrow Motors has installed a door equal in height to the car itself at the back instead of a boot. All four occupants are expected to enter here and take their seat from the central aisle. In fact, the Russian company says the best way to park the Provocator is reversed up against the pavement for direct and safe access.

The engine and transmission components sit almost under the dashboard at the end of the aisle, with the fuel tanks sitting under the seats. Well, that’s if you opt for the front-wheel-drive conventional combustion engine option as opposed to the hybrid of electric variants that are also planned.

Turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will be available with a maximum capacity of 1.5 litres, making the city car good for 0-62 mph in as little as 8.7 seconds. Hybrid and electric versions are estimated to have 215-250-mile ranges.

Some of the options will include basics like ABS and ESP as well as higher-end equipment like a rear-view camera, hill-start assist and an electronic differential lock. Xenon headlights, a heated steering wheel, air conditioning, automatic lights and wipers and satellite navigation are also on the list among other things.

It’s not only the regular Mirrow Provocator that will be on display at Mondial de l’Automobile 2016, but also a compact food van, a logistics-aimed van with the postal service in mind, and a taxi that can transport 6 people thanks to a 70 cm growth in length.

The final product is still almost 2 years off, with Mirrow still looking for hopeful investors, however at this moment in time pricing is expected to kick off at an extraordinarily attractive 3,500 – 4,500 euros (£2,800 – £3,500).