Your Lancer lot

Written by Dark Lord

Thursday, 08 May 2008 01:01

Far from being down and out, Mitsubishi is going great guns with its stylish new Lancer sedan, says Byron Mathioudakis. Isn’t the Lancer the provenance of pimply teenagers in souped-up hoon-mobiles? Well, demographically speaking, the small Mitsubishi has certainly carved out a niche with today’s youth looking for a car with some rally cred – thanks to the high-performance Lancer Evo series. But with today’s green-minded consumers, high economy and low emissions are paramount: so a small car that delivers these plus style, fun and safety is worth getting excited over. So you’re saying the Lancer now delivers all that? It sure does. The latest sedan has all-new shark-nosed wedgy styling, backed by a fresh chassis, a completely redesigned interior with more space and features, and super-duper sharp pricing. Mitsubishi has gone back to the drawing board, while retaining the reliability, economy and durability that have endeared the model to small-car buyers since the series started back in 1974. The striking new design clothes a re-engineered front-wheel drive chassis with sophisticated suspension for quick and agile steering. An all-new 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine has also been fitted, providing strong and surprisingly smooth performance throughout the rev range, without sacrificing fuel economy. Buyers can choose between a slick five-speed manual gearbox, or a superbly efficient CVT automatic that uses less fuel than the already-impressive manual. So this is one of the better small cars to drive? You bet. Both teenagers and tuck shop ladies will enjoy the latest Lancer. The cabin has enough space for five people (three adults can just squeeze in the back), while the boot is as big as you’ll probably ever need. Best of all, Mitsubishi provides peace-of-mind in two ways: with a better-than-average five-year warranty, as well as standard stability control that might just save you from having a nasty accident. Four airbags, as well as air-con, power windows, remote central locking, MP3-compatible CD audio, cruise control, electric mirrors and a trip computer are also all totally standard. So what’s the catch? In the real world, this is a highly competitive package that should be on everybody’s small-car shortlist. But you should know that plenty of tyre rumbling permeates the peace inside the cabin – a Toyota Corolla is far quieter. The ride can feel pretty firm on rougher road surfaces. And while the Lancer has high agility levels, it’s roundly outclassed as a driver’s car when compared to the Ford Focus and Mazda 3. Ten facts you should know about the… 2008 Mitsubishi CJ Lancer sedan 1. How much: From $20,990 (ES) to $31,490 (VRX)   2. What’s under the bonnet: 2.0-litre DOHC 16V four-cylinder petrol 3. Power/torque: 113kW @ 6000rpm/198Nm @ 4250rpm 4. Transmission: 5-speed manual 5. How’s it go: 0-100km/h: 9.5 seconds 6. What it costs the earth: 7.7L/100km/CO2 emissions: 182g/km 7. Alternatives: Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Nissan Tiida, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Cerato, Holden Viva, Honda Civic 8. Likes: Safety, styling, practicality, eager handling, sporty engine performance, great fuel economy, value, long warranty 9. Dislikes: Lots of road noise, low-speed dynamic finesse falters at speed, firm ride 10. Our rating out of 5 Stars: 4

Last Updated ( Thursday, 08 May 2008 01:02 )