The Lancer regains its style

By Michael Moroney

Mitsubishi has given the Lancer a facelift. It has regained its style and road presence to make it a real contender. Michael Moroney is impressed.

Y ou'll be instantly won over by the look of the new Mitsubishi Lancer. The car was launched here in November and makes a refreshing statement compared with the previous model. But is styling enough to win over new customers?

The Mitsubishi Lancer is now in its ninth generation. And for the Lancer, the new styling confirms that age has suited its evolutionary process. Mitsubishi claims to have built on its rally championship styling and developed a car that comes with impressive looks. It looks powerful even though the engine under the bonnet is well behaved and that's a trick in itself. Mitsubishi has gone from a 1.6-litre petrol engine to a slightly smaller but more powerful 1.5-litre option in the new Lancer.

This Lancer model, which is built in Japan, is designed around a global platform, so that similar styling is used in a number of world markets. That styling is characterised by the large front grille with what Mitsubishi call the shark-like nose.

The lights are clustered very effectively to complete the front-end design. This is one of the better designs to come from Mitsubishi and I'm sure you can detect that I'm impressed with the overall effect.

For the Irish market, Mitsubishi is keeping the Lancer options simple: one engine option with a choice of a manual or automatic gearbox. We expect to a see a diesel-powered Lancer later this year using a 2.0-litre diesel engine compliments of Volkswagen. That's the same engine as fitted to the Outlander and Grandis models, so it will be both powerful and come with low emissions in the Lancer.

For the present, the new 1.5-litre petrol engine is the only model available. It's more powerful than the 1.6-litre model of the previous Lancer offering and engine power has been lifted by 13% to give 109bhp, while the overall torque output levels drop slightly.

Compared with the previous model, that extra power makes little difference to the acceleration pace, which is rated at 11.6 seconds in a 0 to 100km/hr race. That compares well relative to the competition with cars like the 1.6-litre Kia cee'd coming in as the fastest in the group. The Lancer performance is far from sluggish relative to the competition - it's just that it looks so well that you expect it to go even faster.

Mitsubishi has given fuel economy a priority in the new Lancer. The economy figures have improved by 7% to give a combined fuel economy figure of 6.4 litres/100km (44.5mpg). That's the best performance in a comparison of 1.5- and 1.6-litre petrol saloon cars on the market. The economy figure contributes to achieving a low emissions rating. The new Lancer is rated at 153g/km. This should mean that Lancer prices should fall slightly in July based on a lower Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) figure. So, to realise that value, maybe it's worth waiting until July to get the full impact of those possible savings as well as lower road tax.

Relative to the competition, the Lancer has about average interior space. Rear seating is a little tight with the front seat in position for the average driver. Boot space seems about average for the sector. The interior styling is simple, clear and easy to use, while reflecting the modern external design.

The new Lancer comes with a standard package, which includes 16" alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, multi-function leather steering wheel and air conditioning. Mitsubishi expects the car to achieve a 5 star EuroNCAP safety rating but we will have to wait and see on that front. This new Lancer comes with nine airbags, including one to protect the driver's knees, hence the Mitsubishi confidence for the EuroNCAP rating.

The new Mitsubishi Lancer has outstanding style. The car can compete with some of the more expensive makes on appearance alone, because its performance is good enough for any competitor in the 1.5-/1.6-litre category. It has shades of the Volvo S40 design while matching its acceleration performance and beating it well in terms of economy, emissions and price.

The new Lancer is placed in a reasonably competitive price band, starting at €22,495 before delivery charges. It is marginally more expensive than the 1.6-litre Ford Focus and 1.4-litre Toyota Corolla, while cheaper than the 1.6-litre Renault Mégane or Volkswagen Jetta.

For Lancer buyers, the choice will be based on style, which is modern and individual - even if you do expect it to go that bit faster.

Mitsubishi Lancer

1.5-litre petrol
Engine power	109bhp
0-100km/h	11.6 seconds
Economy	6.4 litres/100km
CO2 emissions	153g/km
Price	€22,495