Motoring - Edgy new looks
The Mitsubishi Lancer benefits from the similar sporty looks of its monstrous Evo sister
There's no getting away from the fact that much of the Lancer's appeal lies in its close styling ties to Mitsubishi's road-runner Evo model. Some Evo owners may gripe about this, but for buyers of the Lancer it's good news all the way. For starters, the standard Lancer has the same squat stance as the Evo and all models come with snazzy looking 18-inch alloy wheels. There's also a fair bit of the Evo's front-end flair, though the standard Lancer does without its blacked-out grille. At the rear, the Lancer has a chippy little boot spoiler and the rear windows are tinted for privacy on all models.
So far, so good, and it gets better when you look further down the standard equipment list for the Lancer. Sports suspension backs up the Evo-esque looks to some extent, while climate control is fitted across the range of GS3 and GS4 models.
The GS4 adds in leather upholstery, satellite navigation and a 30GB hard drive to store music on. Also included on all models are cruise control, CD stereo with MP3 connector and six airbags. Safety is further underlined by ESP traction control being fitted to every car in the line-up, so the Mitsubishi is right up with the very best small saloons for protecting its occupants.
There's plenty of space in the front of the Lancer's cabin and the driver is well catered for, courtesy of plenty of seat adjustment. Finding a relaxed and supportive driving position is not difficult, but it would be made all the easier if the Lancer had a steering wheel that adjusted for reach rather than just angle.
Mitsubishi regains Brownie points for the uncluttered dash of the Lancer and the superb build quality, though it's a pity some of the cabin materials have a hard plastic finish that is not as pleasing on the eye as some rivals' soft-touch
trim.
In the rear, there's enough room for a couple of adults, but taller rear seat passengers will find headroom restricted. The boot tells a similar story, where there's decent luggage accommodation, but larger items will be stymied by the intrusion of the rear wheel arches that make the boot space long but thin. There's also the downside that access to the boot is restricted compared to the Lancer's hatchback rivals. The other downside of the Lancer next to many of its hatchback and small saloon rivals is that it lags behind their abilities to cosset driver and passengers on almost anything other than surfaces smoother than a salesman's patter. The standard sports suspension may seem attractive on the showroom floor, but on the roads it introduces too many bumps and jitters to the cabin.
Some compensation comes from the Lancer's excellent grip in corners, though keen drivers will feel disappointed in the overly light steering. All drivers will be disenchanted by the amount of road and engine noise that can be heard in the Lancer's cabin, which makes journeys much more of a chore than they should be in a car that is otherwise very easy to drive thanks to a light, precise gearchange.
The engines that cause much of the row inside the car are a 1.8-litre petrol with 142bhp or a VW-sourced 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 138bhp. Combined economy comes in at 36.7mpg for the petrol and 44.8 for the diesel, which are middle of the pack figures, while CO2 emissions are higher than they should be for this sector at 183- and 165g/km for the petrol and diesel respectively.
The Lancer is competitively priced considering the amount of kit that comes as standard. If only the Lancer was quieter it would be every bit as appealing as the Evo it so closely resembles.
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So far, so good, and it gets better when you look further down the standard equipment list for the Lancer. Sports suspension backs up the Evo-esque looks to some extent, while climate control is fitted across the range of GS3 and GS4 models.
The GS4 adds in leather upholstery, satellite navigation and a 30GB hard drive to store music on. Also included on all models are cruise control, CD stereo with MP3 connector and six airbags. Safety is further underlined by ESP traction control being fitted to every car in the line-up, so the Mitsubishi is right up with the very best small saloons for protecting its occupants.
There's plenty of space in the front of the Lancer's cabin and the driver is well catered for, courtesy of plenty of seat adjustment. Finding a relaxed and supportive driving position is not difficult, but it would be made all the easier if the Lancer had a steering wheel that adjusted for reach rather than just angle.
Mitsubishi regains Brownie points for the uncluttered dash of the Lancer and the superb build quality, though it's a pity some of the cabin materials have a hard plastic finish that is not as pleasing on the eye as some rivals' soft-touch
trim.
In the rear, there's enough room for a couple of adults, but taller rear seat passengers will find headroom restricted. The boot tells a similar story, where there's decent luggage accommodation, but larger items will be stymied by the intrusion of the rear wheel arches that make the boot space long but thin. There's also the downside that access to the boot is restricted compared to the Lancer's hatchback rivals. The other downside of the Lancer next to many of its hatchback and small saloon rivals is that it lags behind their abilities to cosset driver and passengers on almost anything other than surfaces smoother than a salesman's patter. The standard sports suspension may seem attractive on the showroom floor, but on the roads it introduces too many bumps and jitters to the cabin.
Some compensation comes from the Lancer's excellent grip in corners, though keen drivers will feel disappointed in the overly light steering. All drivers will be disenchanted by the amount of road and engine noise that can be heard in the Lancer's cabin, which makes journeys much more of a chore than they should be in a car that is otherwise very easy to drive thanks to a light, precise gearchange.
The engines that cause much of the row inside the car are a 1.8-litre petrol with 142bhp or a VW-sourced 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 138bhp. Combined economy comes in at 36.7mpg for the petrol and 44.8 for the diesel, which are middle of the pack figures, while CO2 emissions are higher than they should be for this sector at 183- and 165g/km for the petrol and diesel respectively.
The Lancer is competitively priced considering the amount of kit that comes as standard. If only the Lancer was quieter it would be every bit as appealing as the Evo it so closely resembles.
• Content provided by Verdict on Cars