A Lancer For Those Who Aspire

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday September 20, 2008

Toby Hagon

MITSUBISHI has added a new model to the Lancer sedan line-up. It has given its small car a bigger engine - 2.4-litre, four-cylinder - in the hope it will appeal to buyers who are downsizing but don't want to sacrifice performance.

The new Lancer Aspire has leather seats, headlights that turn to illuminate around corners, better interior appointments, rain-sensing wipers, keyless start system, more chrome on the outside, some fake woodgrain trim on the inside and an automatic transmission as standard.

Until December, the Lancer Aspire will come with a navigation system that also works with a mobile phone and an iPod. The Mitsubishi multi-communication system usually costs $2400.

The price of the Lancer Aspire is more in keeping with a mid-sized car, selling for $33,990, plus the usual on-road costs, making it more than $10,000 dearer than a regular Lancer model and about the same price as the outgoing Mitsubishi 380 sedan.

Mitsubishi says the extra equipment offsets the price premium. "[The Aspire] really is to appeal to those large-medium downsizers," says Chris Maxted, Mitsubishi Australia's manager product strategy, passenger vehicles.

As well as the extra equipment, the Lancer Aspire's big point of difference is the 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engine (up from 2.0 litres in the regular Lancer line-up). The 2.4 produces 125kW of power and 226Nm of torque, making it the most powerful non-turbo engine in the small car class.

Mitsubishi says Lancers fitted with a 2.4 are more powerful than mid-sized cars such as the Mazda6, Toyota Camry and Ford Mondeo.

The Honda Accord Euro beats them all with its 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engine producing 148kW.

Unlike some medium cars, such as the Mazda6, the Lancer runs on regular unleaded and has a claimed fuel consumption figure of 8.5 litres/100km.

Mitsubishi will start selling a hatchback version of the Lancer before the end of the year. Known as the Lancer Sportback, the five-door will be the first Lancer hatch sold in Australia since 1995.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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