Mitsubishi Lancer review

The Mitsubishi Lancer has a split personality.

Having emerged in the mid-1980s as a four-door alternative to the Colt the car built up a solid but unspectacular reputation.

Respected for reliability and the quality of its engineering it turned few heads as it stood shoulder to shoulder with its practical and capable 4×4 stablemates.

“It evolved over the years through what can only be described as a number of dull incarnations,” said Robert Hester, Cap Black Book valuation relationship manager.

In the early 1990s Mitsubishi moved the Lancer from the lower to the upper-medium segment and pitched it into the Ford Mondeo – Vauxhall Cavalier market.

It had little impact however and remained a low volume, marginal alternative to the dominant models.

But while the mainstream Lancer became known as sensible but dull, elsewhere in the motoring world Mitsubishi had spawned what was rapidly to become a cult classic to rival the Subaru Impreza Turbo – the Lancer Evolution rally car.

The Evo’s fame grew as grey imports began flooding into the UK from Japan until Mitsubishi put a legal stop to the trade in 2005.

The 10th generation Lancer range arrived in UK showrooms as a four door in March – the five-door line-up, which is expected to dominate sales, will follow in September.

The brand is aiming the new car firmly at the C-segment – until 2006 the UK’s largest market sector.

With the introduction of the 2.0-litre Ralliart Sportback Mitsubishi is attempting to bridge the chasm between the Evo X and the rest of the range and provide a competitor to the likes of the Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type R in the UK’s beloved hot hatch sector.

The Evo X remains the halo model, sprinkling glamour on the rest of the line-up – although precious little of it seemed to have settled on the 2.0-litre GS4 diesel tested by Motor Trader.

Mitsubishi has singled out the Mazda 3 as a key competitor but the Lancer is a larger car.

It is muscular, with better interior styling than of old and has certainly developed some kerbside presence.

But around town it feels unrefined and none too nimble – an impression not helped by the lack of parking sensors on our test car.

The VW-built 2-litre diesel engine is a competent, economical motorway performer but noisier than rivals and not so smooth.

Leaving the spoiler on the oil burner seems incongruous but is obviously meant to remind us that the car is a sibling of the Evo.

So how will the new Lancer fare in the used car arena?Prices start at £12,499 for the 1.5-litre petrol with the diesel coming in at £15,499. The GS4 diesel costs £18,499. The Evo X is priced from £27,499.

Lance Bradley, UK sales and marketing director predicts residual values after three years of 37 per cent – just behind the Honda Civic but ahead of the Mazda 3 and Ford Focus.

Cap gave a similar forecast. “Not yet among the best, but a significant improvement and proof the Lancer is moving in the right direction,” said Hester.

EurotaxGlass’s expects the Lancer diesel saloon to retain more value after three years than the Mazda 3 and Focus but said it would not match the Volkswagen Jetta or Volvo S40.