Longer, wider Lancer

The important Mitsubishi project will make its debut at the Detroit Motor Show next month.

The joint European-Japan four-door sedan has grown in every dimension with a 2635mm wheelbase, up from 2600mm, width now 1760mm up from 1695mm and length 4570m where the longest sedan model previously was the VR-X at 4535mm.

CARSguide last month published a sketch of the car and the final production model remains faithful to the designers' intentions with a muscular appearance.

While the company's three-diamond logo is the focal point of all Mitsubishi concept and production vehicles, the new Lancer features a larger, two-part, upside-down grille inspired by the air intake on a military jet fighter.

The top section is ringed in chrome with Mitsubishi's logo in the centre. To the sides of the grille, the headlights are slightly inset.

The Lancer sedan is based on the company's Project Global platform, a new flex-

ible architecture that also forms the foundation of the second-generation Outlander, released here last month.

While Australian pricing, trim levels and powertrain specifications are yet to be decided the car will be produced with four powertrain levels (entry, mid-range, upper-range and supercar) and five different engines, including the 104kW two-litre diesel.

Ralliart and Evo high-performance Lancers with two-litre turbo engines will be released here in 2008.

In Australia, Lancer is the only Mitsubishi vehicle increasing sales, up 7.3 per cent to the end of November from 12,651 in 2005 to 13,580.

While Mitsubishi is losing share nationally, in Queensland the company has a 6.6 per cent market share behind Toyota (22.8%), Holden (14.2%), Ford (10.9%) and Mazda (7.2%), and represents up to 30 per cent of their national volume.

In 2007, Mitsubishi will also release its first upgrade to the 380 large car in the middle of the year and a 4 x 2 Triton is slotted in for March.