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| Brilliant in the corners, the 2009 Lancer Sportback Ralliart leads the class for driving technology. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
Mitsubishi's new Lancer Sportback Ralliart isn't for everyone. No, it's a compact five-door liftback that targets practically-minded, eco-focused people who also love to drive. Hmmm… no, it might not be for everyone, but that certainly covers a lot of Canadian consumers.
You can't get more practical in today's market than a compact five-door, especially in a land that has embraced compact hatchback models for decades. Canada is not the USA in this respect, despite our penchant for salty, fatty foods delivered through a drive-thru window, which makes the new Lancer Sportback, especially in Ralliart trim, ideal for our market.
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| Sportback design adds unique style and convenience. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
The Sportback is reinvented for 2009, from a very practical wagon in its previous generation to a rakish shape that now lives up to its name. Also new for '09 is a Ralliart model with some ammunition in the clip, a real black belt street brawler compared to the yellow belted novice offered in the previous iteration. I like to call it Evo Lite, because the new Ralliart is more or less an Evo X MR without the 295hp engine upgrade. Then again, it's not the Lancer DE, SE and GT's 152hp mill either, or the upgraded 168hp from the GTS, but rather something altogether different for 2009, a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder with 237hp and 253 lb-ft of torque! Set to do direct battle with Subaru's non-STI Impreza WRX, it's a force to be reckoned with, made better than its competition by the Evo X MR's six-speed Twin Clutch Sportronic (TC-SST) sequential manual transmission with magnesium paddle shifters.
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| Twin exhaust pipes say a lot about what's under the hood. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
For those not in the know, a sequential manual acts like an automatic when left in drive, although this particular transmission can do a heck of a lot more, even in the D position. Leave it in “Normal” mode and it'll shift to prioritize fuel economy, but click the console-mounted toggle to “Sport” and all of a sudden it comes alive, shifting up and down through the gears all on its own, making you look and feel like a professional race driver as revs are maximized when rowing up through the gears and are matched perfectly to each shift on the way down.
