Super TestCar reviews - Mitsubishi - Lancer - VR hatchMitsubishi modelsLaunch Story26 Oct 2011 By PHILIP LORD MITSUBISHI’S best-selling model, the Lancer, wears smarter interior trim for the 2012 model year while the entry-level Lancer ES and VR models get electric power steering, bringing a small improvement to fuel economy and C02 levels. A reversing camera is now available throughout the Lancer range, which no longer includes an SX specification model. Electric power steering in place of the hydraulic set-up has brought improved fuel economy for the ES and VR models, which are now rated on the combined cycle at 6.8L/100km with manual transmission (previously 7.6L/100km) and 7.2L/100km with CVT (previously 8.2L/100km). The ES’s optional Convenience Pack at $970 includes reversing sensors and camera, auto-dimming interior mirror, Bluetooth and a leather steering wheel with audio controls. The rear-view camera is standard on VR, VRX, Aspire and Ralliart models. Door trims are now a soft-touch grained vinyl on upper sections and leather-trimmed on the scalloped centre sections and armrests. The ES has new seat fabric, chrome-plated inner door handles and new dark silver interior decoration panels while the ES Sportback model also has a new rear spoiler. VR gets front corner air dams, while VRX includes a Ralliart-style grille and front bumper and new-design 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the VRX gets new gloss black decoration panels, leather-trimmed and heated seats, and power adjustment for the driver’s seat. Aspire gets the reversing camera but, unlike the mirror-mounted monitor in lower models, the Aspire’s appears in the Mitsubishi Multi Communication System screen. It also has an electro-chromatic mirror, new black gloss decoration panels, heated front seats, a powered driver’s seat and new 18-inch alloys. Ralliart models come with new 18-inch alloys, partial leather seats and gloss black decoration panels. Lancer ES and VR continue with the 2.0-litre MIVEC four-cylinder engine coupled with either a five-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission, VRX variants and the Aspire sedan receive the 2.4-litre MIVEC engine, with the same choice of transmissions, and the Ralliart still features the intercooled and turbocharged 2.0-litre MIVEC engine. ES, VR, VRX and Ralliart models are available in sedan or sportback body styles, with the premium Aspire offered solely as a sedan. Times are tough for Mitsubishi’s volume seller, with the model that arrived here in 2007 begging for a renewal to take on the wave of more recent competition such as Focus, Holden’s locally built Cruze and the Mazda3. VFACTS sales figures show a contraction of 22.4 per cent in Lancer’s sales this year compared to 2010, reducing its share of the small car market under $40,000 from 10.5 per cent to 8.2 per cent YTD All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen |
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