Challenge To The Rally King

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday December 19, 2008

Bruce Newton

The turbocharged Lancer Ralliart is geared to take on the Impreza WRX, writes Bruce Newton.

The car Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

How much From $42,990

Engine 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder 177kW/343Nm

Fuel consumption 10.2L/100km

Emissions 243g/km

MITSUBISHI once had the high ground among turbo all-wheel-drive sports sedans with the Lancer GSR. But that was in the 1990s before Subaru launched the Impreza WRX.

Twelve years on and the Japanese maker is back in the game with the Lancer Ralliart, coinciding its launch with the Sportback hatch body-style for most of the Lancer range. With technology in abundance, a competitive price and a long equipment list, the Ralliart is a strong rival for the WRX.

What you get

The Ralliart is an affordable version of the Lancer Evolution X, minus some of the high-tech bits. It has a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, driver-adjustable AWD and an automated manual transmission.

The Evo supplies its ducted and vented aluminium bonnet, while the enlarged grille with chrome surround is unique. The sedan gets a surfboard rear wing; the Sportback's rear-end looks rather heavy. Equipment includes climate control, six-disc CD player, cruise control, a trip computer, "Smart" key and Bluetooth. The interior trim is basic cloth, the steering wheel adjusts for rake only and the spare tyre is a space saver.

How safe?

The Lancer sedan scored the maximum five-star overall rating in NCAP crash testing. There are seven airbags, including a driver's knee airbag, lap-sash safety belts and headrests on all five seats and stability control are standard.

What's inside

The hatch is 15 millimetres longer than the sedan but rear passengers have two millimetres less headroom. The boot is just 288 litres, compared with the sedan's 402 litres. The rear seat split-folds for more luggage space but there are no hooks, storage nets or under-floor compartments.

Apart from some faux carbon fibre highlights, inside the Ralliart is the same as mainstream Lancers. The controls are downmarket and the plastics dark and brittle. The seats are comfortable enough, albeit shaped more for general use than sports driving. Knee and elbow room are fine for two adults in the rear.

Under the bonnet

Turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine produces a 0-100kmh sprint time of 7.1 seconds. It's not a sweet-sounding engine, tending towards a frazzled rage when pressed, but performance feels stronger than Mitsubishi's estimate. The automated transmission is capable of providing auto-like smoothness when left in normal mode but is aggressive and snappy in sport mode.

On the road

The Ralliart shares the active centre diff with the Evo. The suspension is firmer and the brakes bigger than regular Lancers. Overall, it has the best ride and handling balance of any Lancer model, with more compliance than the Evo. The ability to vary the AWD system between three modes is helpful. The letdown is the tyres, which struggle for grip when pushed. Mitsubishi says there are plans for an upgrade.

Verdict

The Ralliart is a great package, a good-value proposition to back up the adrenalin rush. In hatch form the rear-end looks divide critics and the tyres don't help extract the sports thrills the rest of the car is capable of delivering. However, it's a welcome and very real rival for the Impreza WRX. And long overdue.

Star rating

3.5 stars

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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