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MotorTrend
  • 11/8/2023
Though the previous generation Mitsubishi Lancer made for a good place to start for a halo car like the Lancer Evolution; the standard Lancer was about as exciting as a bicycle with pink handles
Transcript
00:00 Though the previous generation Mitsubishi Lancer made for a good place to start for
00:07 a halo car like the Lancer Evolution, the standard Lancer was about as exciting as a
00:12 bicycle with pink handles, a basket, and training wheels. However, a brief drive in the 2008
00:18 incarnation lets you know that Mitsubishi has stepped up to the plate swinging, effectively
00:22 taking off the training wheels. Although this 9th generation Lancer shares some platform
00:27 architecture with the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, and Mitsubishi's own Outlander crossover,
00:32 draw no conclusion from any of them. Nothing you can touch or see is the same. With an
00:37 aggressive face and Volvo-ish profile, the new Lancer looks nice from most angles, although
00:41 the rear end is slabby and doesn't wear its taillights well. But the sporty GTS trim appears
00:46 downright edgy with its aggressive fascias, rear spoiler, and 18-inch rolling stock. The
00:53 2008 Lancer will initially be available with a single engine offering. The new 2.0L dual
00:58 overhead cam 4-cylinder engine is all aluminum with its MiVec variable valve timing on the
01:04 intake and exhaust cams. It's rated at 152 horsepower. Armed with the Lancer's standard
01:10 5-speed, you're able to run from 0-60 in 7.7 seconds. Instead of offering an automatic
01:16 transmission, Mitsubishi decided to add another bullet to their resume and make available
01:21 a continuously variable transmission, a first for a Mitsu in North America. The CVT is aimed
01:26 at enhancing performance and mileage over a conventional autobox. On the GTS, the Sportronic
01:33 version of the CVT includes nifty, steering column-mounted aluminum shifter paddles. In
01:40 manual mode, it has six stepped ratios to paddle through, which is a blast with the
01:44 shifts taking place the instant you pull a paddle, just like an F1 video game. Mimicking
01:51 the paddle shifters, the rest of the interior is similarly upgraded. The cabin is better
01:56 designed, appears well-assembled, and is trimmed in plastics and surfaces of appropriate quality,
02:01 something the company has been struggling to improve over the past several years, so
02:04 it's good to see progress, though there is room for more. The GTS continues the racy
02:11 treatment inside with supportive sport seats and is the only model offered with an optional
02:16 navigation and technology package. One extra cost feature not to be missed is the 650 watt
02:22 Rockford Fosgate premium audio system, which may be best in class. Our first impressions
02:29 of the new Lancer are good. Perhaps other than the CVT, it doesn't reset any paradigms,
02:37 but it puts Mitsubishi solidly in the compact sedan game, which isn't all that bad of a
02:41 place to be.
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