Singapore's ubiquitous and well-loved affordable saloon has just received a much-needed facelift.

And boy has it become quite the looker.

What's new?

On the outside, Mitsubishi's dynamic shield grille is all new, along with newly redesigned bumpers and LED head lights and taillights.

But the changes go more than just skin deep.

For a start, the facelifted car now comes with imitation carbon fibre accents on the door cards, while new features such as cruise control and the 7.0-inch Smartphone-link Display Audio system now add to the Attrage's practical suite.

Practical sedan

These new changes do well to refresh the car.

The overall design is now far more cohesive compared to its predecessor, while the use of LEDs and the horizontal red highlights on the grille do well to lift the Attrage's image away from that of a simple shoestring commuter.

But sitting in the cabin you get a greater appreciation of the changes still.

The new infotainment system is now controlled via touchscreen, and while the display graphics may look a generation old you now get the option to sync it with your smartphone and thus can opt to never look at them ever again.

Those that hail you via smartphone will also now find the new car more passenger friendly when they get in the back, thanks to new handphone and magazine holders on the backs of the front seats.

And if you're transporting family at the rear, the new car now comes with ISOFIX anchor points at the rear bench.

Space is also decent for all at the front and rear, while the boot is 450-litres large - trumping the Mazda2 Sedan's 414 litres.

On the go

Setting off you will find that the facelifted car has little to match the exterior's newfound dynamism.

The same 1.2-litre MIVEC three-cylinder continues to do duty in the facelifted car, and while it is reasonably quiet when serving in city traffic, pushing the car any harder will force it to produce a racket that becomes tiresome over longer drives.

When I tested the Perodua Bezza, I found the four-speed automatic insufficient for motorway cruising, and I'm afraid it's pretty much the same case here even though the Attrage utilises a continuously variable transmission. The engine simply lacks the torque to keep the engine speed low enough at anything approaching 90km/h. Thus, a truly quiet drive remains unattainable.

But at least in the Bezza you got another 14bhp for cutting through inner-city traffic.

I managed a fuel economy of 16.1km/L in the Attrage.

Drive in a far more relaxed manner and the Attrage's qualities start to show. The suspension is soft and pliant, allowing you to take on roads without regard for bumps and road imperfections.

Automatic head lights was curiously missing in our test car, although the Space Star we tested came with them.

A numbers game

Should you opt for this new Attrage? If budgeting is really high on your list of priorities, then the Attrage makes for a reasonable package.

At $69,999 (as of 13 August 2020), the Attrage in 'Style' specification calls for a $10,000 premium above the Perodua Bezza, which now comes with Vehicle Stability Control and Electronic Brake Control, rivalling the Attrage's Active Stability Control and Electronic Brake-Force Distribution.

But the Attrage continues to trump the segment with six airbags against just two airbags offered by both the Bezza and the Mazda2 Sedan (which is offered at $74,888 in its most basic specification).

However, if you need to travel around in style while on a shoestring budget, I think the Attrage is now rather hard to beat.