THE weather, which was warm and sunny when I took out a Carisma from Mitchells at Eastham, turned into wintry showers and sleet by the time I arrived in the Lake District.

This car certainly has that something special. People do have a tendency to stop and chat about their cars and with the Mitsubishi Carisma this proved especially true.

With graceful, flowing lines, the five-door hatch does make people sit up and take notice. The boot is capable of taking your holiday luggage or shopping with distinct ease, coupled with the 60/40 split folding seats.

Seat squabs act as buffers to stop moving objects hitting the front seats. The rear load area measures a massive 5ft 5" long x 4ft 4" wide, combined with a high lifting tailgate. Low sill height makes loading ease itself. The five door hatch is also fitted with an intermittent wash/wipe on the tailgate.

One of the safest cars on the road, the Carisma impressed me with the crumple zone in front of the engine. This gives enhanced protection in the event of a head-on collision.

Front and rear door side impact bars, air bags at the front (passenger side an option), pre-tensioning front seat belts and switchable childproof locks for the rear doors, make the Carisma safe and secure.

With regard to handling and safety, the Carisma is fitted with speed related power assisted rack and pinion steering, power assisted fade resistant front disc brakes, with ABS as an option on all models.

Steering is lightly controlled, giving responsive handling for those who wish to use the engine's lively performance.

Ride and comfort are excellent, especially on long motorway journeys, where driver fatigue can be a potential killer.

The Carisma offers a choice of two power plants across the range - a 1.6 litre, 16 valve SOHC and a 1.8 litre, 16 valve SOHC. Mid-range performance and fuel economy are important practical benefits that drivers appreciate, rather than all out performance for every day driving. Sorry, Jeremy, but it's true! You also have the choice of manual and automatic transmissions.

Prices begin at £11,890 on the road for Carisma 1.6 GL, four and five door version. There is, in fact, an astounding choice of 22 options in this range.

Ring Mitchells on 328-5555 or call at their showroom on New Chester Road, Eastham, for a test drive.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.