| I believe this car needs no introduction, meet the Mitsubishi Lancer, now in its ninth-generation of a heritage that began in 1973 with the first Lancer. In case you’re wondering, there’s no typographical error, the word Evolution isn’t missing and we did indeed take the Mitsubishi Lancer for a spin. Why, you ask? The Evolution series is indeed a force to be reckoned with, conquering tarmac and gravel alike, but today, we look at the platform that forms the basis of that evolution. 
Long have the Lancer lived in the shadow of is sibling, but have you ever pondered on the fact that the Evolution is a great car today because it was based on something that was good to begin with? The Lancer was designed as a compact sedan; a passenger car for everyday use, and in my opinion, it did that extremely well. Ask yourself, if the Lancer wasn’t able to do that right, would there be an Evolution today? 
What makes the Lancer a good passenger car then? For starters, the car is a looker; not in that loud, screaming kind of way, but it’s handsome and oozes a sporty feel, thanks to the bodykit fitted to it. On the inside, it feels roomy due to the great visibility all around, and it’s spacious too, as four adults can be seated comfortably in the cabin while squeezing a fifth is still within the boundaries comfort. The dash area is simple, with conventional placement of all the dials and meters. Surely, the designers at Mitsubishi could have went with something more radical and different, but I believe the objective wasn’t to stand out, rather, it was to present the instrument panel in a manner where majority of the drivers are accustomed to; in short, to make the driver feel at home. The rest of the interior is set in a shade of grey and black, which is nothing to scream about, but the seats do offer sufficient support and it’s comfortable enough for extended drives. 
Talking about drive, the Lancer certainly drives well; in fact, it drives too well, till the point that I didn’t even notice the gear shift. The car felt like its gearbox had only 1 speed as there were no jolts during shifts, but in actual fact, it’s a 6-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) paired with Mitsubishi’s INVECS-III (Intelligent & Innovative Vehicle Electronic System), a system that automatically selects the optimal gear ratio based on driving style and road conditions. This setup contributed greatly to the fuel efficiency of the car, and it is apparent in our tests as the full tank of petrol lasted us for over 500km, despite our aggressive driving style, where we pushed the car beyond the 160km/h mark. Even at such speeds, cabin comfort is rather impressive, as engine, road and wind noise were reduced to acceptable levels thanks to the cabin insulation, making long haul journeys more pleasant. Handling however, was a little nervous at those speeds; though it can’t be blamed as we aren’t supposed to be traveling that fast to begin with. Around the city, the suspension performed gracefully, though the occasional bumps were felt, no thanks to the road works department. Given the road conditions in our country, the Lancer certainly cushioned the ride significantly. Why do I say this? Because in another car on the same stretch road, I felt like I was in a train. 
Understeer is apparent while attempting to push the car to its limits, but overall I felt confident with the car as the feedback from the steering is intuitive. The Lancer’s turning radius of 4.9m makes it one of the more maneuverable vehicles in its class, and it’s rather impressive in my opinion, given its size. 
Safety is high on Mitsubishi’s list, as the Lancer is furnished with anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake-pressure distribution (EBD). Passive safety came in the form of dual airbags, 3 point emergency locking retractor (ELR) seatbelts which automatically engage and retract during sudden stops, a collapsible steering column, and a reinforced impact safety evolution (RISE) body, which has front and rear crumple zones that absorbs impact and diffuses damage while the cabin and doors are reinforced with rigid beams that hold its shape as it redirects impact energy away from the passengers. All these safety features incorporated in the Lancer certainly gives one peace of mind. 
For its current asking price of RM99,800.00, its certainly a well packaged offering. Given the strong competition in its class, we urge you to get a test drive and not just disregard it as the Evo’s little brother, as if you were to look at it from another perspective, its actually Evo’s big brother. The Evo does what it’s intended to do very well, and likewise, the Lancer doesn’t fail to impress in its own right. | For enquiries or test drives, please contact:
Contact:
1-800-88-3003 Website:
Mitsubishi Sales Contact:
Dylan Chang
016 2233771 Alxand Lee
012 6178118 Richard Leong
012 6934325 Halaluddin
012 2172334 |
Test: Mitsubishi Lancer GLX 1.6
