Mitsubishi Lancer 2009 News

Mitsubishi Motors Australia revealed its Subaru WRX-chasing Lancer Ralliart at the Melbourne Motor Show. The price will probably be about $40,000 when it goes on sale in August. The newest Lancer family member is designed as a stepping stone between the ES, VR, VRX and blistering Evolution X. Mitsubishi president Robert McEniry describes the Ralliart as a “tougher version of the street-model Lancer.” The Ralliart is powered by a slightly detuned version of the 2.0-litre Mivec intercooled and turbocharged engine available in the Evolution X. Despite its lower state of tune, the car still pumps out 177kW and 343Nm and misses little in the way of performance features. It comes with Mitsubishi's twin-clutch sportronic shift transmission (TC-SST) automated manual transmission and full-time AWD with an active centre differential. Visually, the Ralliart has a distinctive front bumper design, rear spoiler and dual exhausts. Apart from the Lancer Ralliart, Mitsubishi will roll out the Lancer Sportback hatch later in the year. The Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart has a distinctive front bumper.  

Mitsubishi's vision for a hatch version of its new Lancer will gain substance with the unveiling of a production-ready prototype at the Geneva motor show in March.While the five-door Prototype-S is yet to be confirmed for production, markets around the world — including Australia — are gearing up for its arrival.“A hatch would be a fantastic addition to the Lancer range,” Mitsubishi Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says.“It is certainly something we are looking at very closely. Traditionally, when Mitsubishi shows a prototype after having shown an initial concept then you can guess it is pretty close to a production car.”Fletcher says the strength of the hatch market in Australia, and the paucity of such body styles in recent Lancer line-ups, makes the possibility of the new model especially exciting.“It is certainly something we could work with ... of course we have to go through the usual process of building a business case but it is something to anticipate,” she says.From the front, the Prototype-S sports the Mitsubishi design identity of inverted-slant nose with trapezoidal grille, while the sleek rear lines echo the 2005 Concept-Sportback show car.Much of the mechanical package is shared with the Ralliart Lancer unveiled at the recent Detroit show; with the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC MIVEC 1 engine producing 177kW of power and 343Nm of torque.That drive is through Mitsubishi's new twin-clutch SST automated manual transmission and a full-time all-wheel-drive.The Prototype-S features the active centre differential (ACD) that uses an electronically controlled multi-plate hydraulic clutch to split torque between the front and rear wheels, delivering optimum balance and traction on changing surfaces.While there has been no word of an Evolution X version of the hatch, the mechanical specifications of the Prototype-S lend strength to speculation of a Ralliart version.

The boosted Lancer, expected to carry the Ralliart name, will slot into the line-up below the red-hot EVO model. The range will be similar to Subaru's Impreza stable, which has a turbo AWD WRX as the main performance model with a faster, more expensive STI as the hero car. It will be the first time Mitsubishi can offer an affordable WRX rival since the cult GSR Lancer more than 10 years ago. The Japanese carmaker has adopted a "bang for your bucks" approach, kicking-off with the Ralliart version of the Colt baby car. Apart from giving the struggling model some positive publicity, the turbo model has added about 40 Colt sales a month. Mitsubishi added to the build-up of the next-generation Lancer -- the brand's best-selling model in Australia -- by releasing a sketch of the car to be unveiled at the Detroit motor show in January. More aggressive, it bears similarities to the Concept X at Frankfurt last year. The Lancer, which will be bigger than current models, is to arrive in Australia next September. A standard model will be the first to go on sale with a new generation 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine that is expected to produce about 120kW. A 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a diesel will be offered in Europe, but are unlikely here initially. The performance turbo AWD model, to compete with the WRX, joins the range in the first half of 2008 along with full-on EVO model. Mitsubishi offers a wagon version of the Lancer, but it is unclear whether a similar load hauler is part of the next Lancer plan. JAMES STANFORD A classic for everyone Classic cars owned by a mystery collector attracted $1.1 million last weekend at a Sydney auction. Some 95 cars went to a new home, while a further 58 are being referred to the vendor. The top sellers were a 1959 Jaguar XK150, selling for $79,100, a Ford V6 Capri RS3100, which went for double what was expected at $72,320 and a 1963 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III, for $50,850. The cheapest model to sell on the day was a 1978 Opel Rekord, which attracted $678. About 700 people attended the auction with a further 70 customers bidding by telephone. The collector, a businessman who wishes to remain anonymous, amassed the 153 vehicles during a 30 year period, storing them in garages around NSW. It was the biggest private collection of classic cars offered at a public auction in Australia, outdoing both the Lindsay Fox and John Laws collections. A 1981 De Lorean sold for a tasty $45,200, a 1953 Riley went for $25,000 and a 1981 Holden Brock Commodore fetched $32,700. "There were so many different marques on offer within diverse price ranges," says Bonhams and Goodman chief executive officer Tim Goodman, who conducted the auction. Base commitment Hyundai will cement its commitment to Australia with a new $70 million headquarters in Sydney. At a groundbreaking ceremony this week Hyundai chief executive Steve Yeo says the new building will house Hyundai's Australian operations into the future. "It is a very substantial investment for us but it was an opportunity that we simply could not miss," Yeo says. Yeo says the multi-storey building in Macquarie Park, North Ryde, will provide enough space for Hyundai with an opportunity for future growth. Hyundai cars have been in Australia since 1986 with the marque adopting manufacturer/importer status in 2003.

The last locally available Evo from a few years back was a tweaked Ralliart version of the Evo VI. As usual, the new model is based on a four door sedan body and is a road going evolution of cars used in the World Rally Championship. That's where the Evo name comes from. It's a bigger car than ever growing in wheelbase and overall size and weight is up by 200kg compared to Evo VI, to around 1400kg. This is despite weight saving measures such as greater use of aluminium and carbon fibre in the body and other components. Power is down a tad to 195kW with torque around the same at 355Nm. Acceleration is also not quite up to the previous model at 6.1 seconds for the 0-100kmh dash. You'd be forgiven for thinking the VIII is a dumbed down version of the Evo but you'd be wrong. Driveability is better than ever and the VIII is possibly a quicker car point to point thanks to superior dynamics and the stiffer body. All its underpinnings have been tried and tested in the cut and thrust of international rallying and it shows. While there isn't any real ground breaking new technology, the car is subtly refined and each system and component upgraded to deliver better perform- ance. It retains all the good bits like the active centre differential and active yaw control which gives a 10 per cent gain in traction. The suspension is upgraded front and rear as are the brakes which feature multi piston Brembo calipers and large discs with "sport" ABS. The ABS is integrated into the cars steering and features G sensors for optimum stopping power. Engine revisions in the 2.0-litre, twin cam, four cylinder are significant and are aimed at reliability and lower emissions as well as stronger response across the rev range. The torque curve is flat thanks in part to the Evo's twin scroll turbo which has virtually no lag. Boost pressure is up to 0.9 bar from 0.8. Redline is 70000rpm. Though a six speed manual is available overseas, it seems superfluous when you drive the strengthened five speeder sold here. On the road the new Evo is a sensational drive, a real rocketship with startling acceleration always on tap. And all this go is harnessed by the dynamic package particularly the all wheel drive system which gives a high level of grip in all conditions. The car is a point and squirter as it virtually leaps from corner to corner and feels like a kart due to direct steering, strong throttle response, stiff chassis and powerful brakes. Some drivers might feel confronted by the VIII's direct steering and firm gear change but it adds to the sporty feel. The interior is fairly bland in a generic Japanese econobox way but is functional and has pretty well everything you need like aircon and a decent sound system. Recaro sports seats offer the necessary amount of side support for extremly fast cornering. Optional leather upholstery is available but there are some other goodies to enhance the handling that actually make the car less fun to drive because it becomes too stiff in the ride department. Mitsubishi is aiming the Evo VIII at Subaru's WRX STi, the Mazda RX8 and the Nissan 300Z. It's a few grand more than the slightly quicker accelerating STi but the Evo's a good looker with a brash body kit and low ride height and room in the back seat. The large carbon fibre deck wing is fairly in-your-face. Living with the Evo VIII on a day to day basis wouldn't be a problem. Keeping your licence would. Only 100 have been imported intially with more on the way. Most of the first shipment have been pre-sold.