What a body!
OK, I'm not talking about Hollywood's latest starlet but rather the newest Mitsubishi: the 2008 Lancer. The ninth generation of this compact, which will hit the market at the end of March 2007, has a few surprises in store, beginning with very competitive prices (from $16,598 to $24,798 $). The Lancer is about 5 to 10 percent less expensive than its main rivals.
That said, being affordable is never enough, which leads us to the second biggest surprise of the new Lancer: its outstanding chassis. Based on a new platform shared with the Dodge Caliber, the Lancer manages to come close to the best German cars thanks to an extremely rigid structure. In fact, the body stiffness of the regular Lancer is now higher than that of the current and mighty Lancer EVO, queen of the rally! Talk about a standard!
"BMW-esque"
The fundamental quality that is the structural rigidity is felt after only a few seconds behind the wheel. Among the many benefits are precise steering and a suspension that efficiently soaks up road anomalies. This car is no less than "BMW-esque". The well-calibrated springs and dampers that limit body movements allowed me to attack with incredible confidence and ease the various series of turns that make up California's mountainous surroundings. On top of these dynamic qualities, the Lancer adds precise steering as well as four powerful disc brakes that matched the performance of my tester (a GTS model). One thing I found irritating, though, was the intrusive road noise created by the 215/45R18 Dunlop tires.
World engine
Just like the platform, the engine is the result of a partnership between DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai. It's a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder aluminum powerplant using Mitsubishi's MIVEC variable timing for intake and exhaust valves. Only a few years ago, this kind of technology was exclusive to exotic cars! Thanks to the miracles of electronics, today's entry-level models can also enjoy the obvious benefits of variable valve timing: smoothness at idle, higher low-end torque, increased power at any speed and, let's not forget, better fuel economy. The best of all worlds, you might say.
OK, I'm not talking about Hollywood's latest starlet but rather the newest Mitsubishi: the 2008 Lancer. The ninth generation of this compact, which will hit the market at the end of March 2007, has a few surprises in store, beginning with very competitive prices (from $16,598 to $24,798 $). The Lancer is about 5 to 10 percent less expensive than its main rivals.
 |
| Available at the end of March 2007 with a base price of $16,598. |
That said, being affordable is never enough, which leads us to the second biggest surprise of the new Lancer: its outstanding chassis. Based on a new platform shared with the Dodge Caliber, the Lancer manages to come close to the best German cars thanks to an extremely rigid structure. In fact, the body stiffness of the regular Lancer is now higher than that of the current and mighty Lancer EVO, queen of the rally! Talk about a standard!
"BMW-esque"
The fundamental quality that is the structural rigidity is felt after only a few seconds behind the wheel. Among the many benefits are precise steering and a suspension that efficiently soaks up road anomalies. This car is no less than "BMW-esque". The well-calibrated springs and dampers that limit body movements allowed me to attack with incredible confidence and ease the various series of turns that make up California's mountainous surroundings. On top of these dynamic qualities, the Lancer adds precise steering as well as four powerful disc brakes that matched the performance of my tester (a GTS model). One thing I found irritating, though, was the intrusive road noise created by the 215/45R18 Dunlop tires.
World engine
Just like the platform, the engine is the result of a partnership between DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai. It's a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder aluminum powerplant using Mitsubishi's MIVEC variable timing for intake and exhaust valves. Only a few years ago, this kind of technology was exclusive to exotic cars! Thanks to the miracles of electronics, today's entry-level models can also enjoy the obvious benefits of variable valve timing: smoothness at idle, higher low-end torque, increased power at any speed and, let's not forget, better fuel economy. The best of all worlds, you might say.
 |
| The 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine will find its way on all three Lancer models. |