Mitsubishi sellers all over the world will likely be little doubt displaying off their newest addition – the Lancer Sportback. You have little doubt seen the advert on tv the place a little bit boy asks his dad “the place did I come from?” In contrast to my dad, the on-screen one has the Sportback to assist him clarify the birds and the bees in graphic element while displaying off the curves of the car. “That is so cool” replies his son. “My buddy Tommy solely comes from Scotland”. Oh the hilarity mitsubishi fuso.
But the Sportback is most undoubtedly a part of the Lancer family and I reckon it sits someplace within the center. The Mitsubishi Lancer has been across the longest and has seen all of it. It’s subtly styled, drives sensibly and is dependable. It is aware of precisely what a buyer that does not agonise over torque steer and turbo-lag needs and delivers it impressively while being, properly, unimpressive and unassuming. Doubtless it’s the granddad of the family.
Subsequent up is the Sportback. Fittingly within the business a father is driving it and that is the position the car takes inside the Lancer family. The whole lot is a bit sleeker, efficiency punchier and the journey sportier with out ever being uncomfortable. Crucially it nonetheless retains the practicality of the Lancer and nonetheless does the whole lot a family saloon ought to. Lastly there’s the snarling, raucous, fire-eating Lancer Evolution. At present in its tenth incarnation, this car takes gas financial system, tender suspension and delicate styling and runs them over, reverses and dos it once more simply to ensure. That is the car that’s worshiped by anybody will a big pockets and the shortcoming to develop facial hair. Sadly I solely fall into the second class. With Zero-60mph arising in four.1 seconds, many a Ferrari has been left embarrassed and that is regardless of the Evolution having 4 doorways and the identical boot as its granddad. Yep, you have guessed it; the Evolution is the son that ran away from home, has some scrapes with the police for rushing and ended up mixing with the incorrect crowd on the rally circuit. No surprise there is not any mom in my Mitsubishi Lancer family tree.
So the Sportback is aimed squarely at ‘cool’ dads who would contemplate the essential Lancer ‘boring’ and the Evolution ‘thirsty’. Why’s it cool then? Properly for a begin Mitsubishi sellers’ could have been informed to say the entrance finish is styled on that of a fighter jet. In spite of everything who hasn’t needed to be a fighter pilot at some stage? I actually would not get into the Sportback by mistake, quite than my F16 parked subsequent to it, however you’ll be able to see the place they’re coming from. Consider it extra like the brand new entrance finish of the Audi vary and you would be nearer. The remainder of the car is sensibly styled however discovered favour with me, regardless that I really like extra vents than a skyscraper on my cars. The inside is often Japanese so what it lacks in aptitude, it greater than makes up for in usability and the standard of supplies used. That mentioned, the Sportback actually takes issues ahead from earlier incarnations with the dials neatly housed in pods, and an on-board laptop inside simple attain (and one which’s a lot simpler to make use of than BMW’s infernal i-Drive system). Rear legroom is sweet as is the boot which because of the Sportback being a hatchback quite than saloon like its different family members helps add way more capability in your shopping.
On the efficiency entrance it is not going to offer you whiplash however is greater than ample for the college run or motorway cruising. The 1.5 litre diesel takes you from standing to 60mph in 11.Eight seconds and onto a high velocity of 114mph. One factor that did fear me is that regardless of this smart efficiency, gas consumption is not nice – 29.7mpg. Excess of an Evolution X I grant you, however solely four.7mpg higher than the mixed return a Mazda RX-Eight offers you and that provides you whiplash AND rips your eyeballs out on acceleration. Sure it is not anyplace close to as sensible so let’s transfer on. If in case you have learn this and are pondering “the Sportback is for me” then nice, you may be pleasantly stunned with what you obtain. If on the opposite hand you actually just like the Sportback, secretly need an Evolution however cannot afford it (that’ll be me undoubtedly) then by no means concern as Mitsubishi are launching the Sportback Ralliart. Even sillier name, however it’ll basically be a Sportback with rally pedigree that’ll fall properly into the family between the Sportback and Evolution – step son? Cool uncle? Solutions on a postcard please.