Game Face: Mitsubishi Lancer

May 19,2008

The Mitsubishi Lancer is one of the most venerable and respected nameplates in the Philippines. By far, it has one of the most rabid following among compact car fans, coming out with color nicknames for them like ‘L-Type’, ‘Box-Type’, ‘Itlog’ and even ‘Pizza Pie’. In the past half a decade though, the Lancer seems to have lost its edge—losing out street credibility to newer, almost untested marques. After a long time in the pipeline, the all-new Lancer (officially dubbed Lancer EX) has finally come, and what a comeback it is.

The massive rear wing, 18-inch alloy wheels and the aggressive nose are all familiar to fans of the World Rally Championship (or fans of a few video games) as cues from the Lancer Evolution series of rally-inspired road cars. The Lancer’s appearance is downright handsome (the vestigial rear wing notwithstanding), and thanks to details like the gapping front intakes, won’t easily be mistaken for anything else on the road. The 10-spoke 18-inch alloys, a standard issue on the GT and GT-A models look the part and should pretty much put aftermarket alloy makers out of business.

The stunning looks are just the tip of the iceberg, as the car really shines from the cabin. All Lancers come equipped with everything necessary as standard: dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, leather steering wheel, automatic climate control and a full-featured audio system. The top trim models are further kitted out with juicy items like automatic HID headlamps, an additional 5 airbags (including a driver’s knee airbag) and a 650-watt 9-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo system.

Sitting in the Lancer for the first time, the car immediately gives an impression of being comprehensively equipped. The thick 3-spoke leather steering wheel exudes sportiness and the aluminum accent compliments the carbon fiber trim on the dash. A dash of luxury is provided by the auxiliary audio switches. Two large, clear analogue gauges flank the generously-sized LCD screen that shows secondary info including a ‘Coffee Break’ warning after more than 2 hours of driving.

Despite looking rather grim with its all-black cabin, the Lancer’s interior is actually a nice place to be in thanks to the excellent build quality and good choice of materials. Everything is intuitive and clear to use like the rotary dials for the climate control. Even the fancy audio system, usually a sore point with cabin ergonomics, is downright simple and easy to use.

For a family of four, the Lancer is spacious and practical. Upfront, the Lancer has a generous enough cabin for 90th percentile of the population, and the heavily bolstered seats do provide excellent support (despite the lack of lumbar adjustment). The cabin’s pushed upward freeing up leg room extensively, but longer legged individuals may bang knees with the oddly positioned window switches. At the back, the space is much more of a premium with occupants clamoring for more knee room. Sculpting the back portion of the front seats would have helped, but it seems that Mitsubishi designers have missed this detail.

Since most will buy the Lancer as their everyday car, it was just right to give it a proper shakedown. Whereas some may want to bring this car to a racetrack of some kind, we took it for a week through 650 kilometers of varied conditions such as ferry kids to school, dropping off the mother-in-law at the airport, taking it up to Tagaytay and getting stuck in Manila traffic with it. It passed with flying colors, and everyone agreed (whatever the age group) that this is a very comfortable car. As for the driver though, the Lancer could have certainly used perkier performance.

With such go-fast looks, you’d be expecting to unleash in a turbo-charged, all-wheel drive mayhem all week (and everyone at traffic lights half expects so). But alas, the Lancer looks faster than it looks. The Lancer’s weakest point is in the lack of straight line punch, where the problem is down to the transmission—a CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission that saps out some performance from its otherwise perky engine. The GT-A does come with magnesium paddle shifters, which do help, but performance junkies are better off shifting for themselves with the available 5-speed manual.

And it’s a shame really, since the Lancer has a gem of an engine: an all-new, all-aluminum 2.0-liter engine dubbed 4B11 (a turbocharged version powers the Evolution X). It replaces the venerable 4G63 that’s been used in various Mitsubishis since the late 1980’s. This new engine weighs in at almost 30 kilograms less than the old 2.0-liter while cranking out more power (153 horsepower). It revs happily to its 6,400 rpm redline thanks to variable valve timing (MIVEC) while returning excellent mileage (averaging 9 km/L according on the on-board computer).

That’s not to say the Lancer isn’t fun to drive. On the contrary, the lack of straight line acceleration is parried by being light on its feet. It turns crisply through corners and the suspension damping is well-tuned, feeling tight and reassuring when pushes in corners. It also soaks up city ruts and rough pavement nicely, despite the low-profile rubber. Constant-speed sweepers and in-town hairpins can be taken with style with the obedient suspension. Any type of road plays into the strength of the Lancer, feeling composed on the more entertaining roads while being able to lug through towns without any drama.

In sum, the Mitsubishi Lancer is the new compact car to beat. At P 1.125-million, it certainly isn’t cheap, but it manages to undercut its rivals while being loaded with much more kit and still providing enjoyable handling traits. The boy-racer styling certainly won’t be for everyone, but at least Mitsubishi has grown the cajones not to soften up its aspirational rally mobile. This is a car with a carefully crafted heritage, and the all-new model lives up to it admirably.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos by Ulysses Ang

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