AUTOMOBILES

Two New Entries: Mitsubishi, which just brought out a redesigned and revved-up Eclipse sports coupe, unveils the 3000 GT Spyder this fall. The car is a convertible version of Mitsubishi’s 3000 GT sports car. But it’s not just any old convertible. Not a shred of canvas anywhere. Instead, harking back to the 1950s, when Ford tried the same thing with a full-size passenger coupe--the Mitsubishi features an automatic retractable hardtop that stores in the trunk.

Kia, whose products are new to the United States, brings its four-door Sportage to the country in December. A few of the sports utility vehicles can already be spotted in the environs of Kia’s corporate offices in the Irvine Spectrum. Executives like to drive them to lunch and to business appointments to gauge the reactions the curvy vehicles get from passersby. A two-door version is due next spring.

Hyundai, which has redesigned the Sonata and recently introduced it as a 1995 model, replaces the Excel later this year with a whole new compact--the 1995 Accent. It will be curvier, bigger and more powerful than its predecessor, company officials say.