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New car sales price Mitsubishi Lancer

Mitsubishi has tinkered with the Lancer lineup and brought in a new model for 2013.

Mitsubishi Australia admits it has taken a bit of a beating recently in the passenger car stakes with the demise of the Magna replacement the 380 in 2008, the end of life cycle of the Mirage and aging Lancer all hitting the company hard.

But, there is a light at the end of the passenger tunnel with Lancer getting an upgrade and the new Mirage due here in January 2013.

Mirage, built in Thailand, has been a hit in that country with 33,000 units ordered there since March. The 2013 Mirage features a lightweight aerodynamic body and a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine that Mitsubishi claims is highly fuel efficient. Like the SUV segment small car sales are also booming with buyers downsizing.

What is keeping Mitsubishi buoyed are sales of its 4WD and SUV models – vehicle segments that are growing with solid sales figures for its five-model range: Pajero, Challenger, Triton, Outlander and ASX.

Mitsubishi has tinkered with the Lancer lineup and brought in a new model for 2013. The Lancer LX sits between the entry-level ES at $19,990 and the semi-sporty VRX, starting at $29,990. The LX has a rrp of $23,990 for the 5-speed manual and $26,240 for the CVT (continuously variable transmission).

Mitsubishi spokesman, James Tol, said the Lancer mid to upper level models were priced above where they should have been when compared to rivals. The revised pricing has addressed this with cuts right across the Lancer range.

Top of the range Evo was $62,390 and is now $56,990 while the Evo MR SST has dropped from $74,890 to $65,990 making both cars more competitive against rival Subaru WRX models.

The entry-level ES Lancer was $21,690 and is now $19,990 and includes, for the first time, Bluetooth 2.0 with voice activation and streaming audio, leather wrapped steering wheel with audio and telephone controls and a new audio system. The CVT ES Lancer also gets hill start assist.

The new LX model is based on the ES but gets 16-inch alloy wheels, side air dams and a lot more of the fashionable chrome to the radiator grille, boot lid accent on the sedan, door handles and belt line moulding. LX also picks up a reversing camera and reverse parking sensors along with keyless entry.

The interior has not missed out and features leather wrapped steering wheel, leather seat trim and gloss black panels. The front seats are heated, there's power controls for the driver's seat and climate control air conditioning. Audio and phone functions are accessible from the steering wheel or the new 6.1-inch full colour display system that includes the rear view camera.

VRX and Ralliart models gain a new Rockford Fosgate audio system with four speakers, four tweeters and subwoofer, iPod/iPhone connectivity and rear view camera. ES and LX models are powered by Mitsubishi's 2.0-litre MIVEC engine while VRX variants have a 2.4-litre MIVEC engine and a choice of five-speed manual or CVT auto transmission.

Lancer Ralliart uses the Lancer Evolution's intercooled and turbo-charged 2.0-litre MIVEC engine mated to a six-speed dual clutch sport shift transmission. Model year 2013 Lancers go on sale on 1 September.

The 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer range is:

ES 2.0-litre four-door sedan: $19,990 (manual), $22,240 (CVT)

LX 2.0-litre four-door sedan: $23,990 (manual), $26,240 (CVT)

VRX 2.4-litre four-door sedan: $29,990 (manual), $32,240 (CVT)

Ralliart 2.0-litre turbo four-door sedan: $44,490 (automatic)