|
By Brian Afuang
THERE were no dancing girls. No boring speeches.
No parlor games. In introducing the much-awaited all-new
ninth-generation Lancer (now appended with EX) to the local
automotive journalists, Mitsubishi Motors Phils. held on May 8 a
genuine driving event at the Subic International Raceway with the
single-minded purpose of demonstrating the qualities of its newest
model. The carmaker apparently knows the car can stand on its own
merits and needed no icing to further sweeten its filling goodness.
Instead, Mitsubishi held the requisite
wine-and-dine launch party on May 23, or two weeks after the
satiating driving event.
Racetrack fun
At its proper racetrack launch venue,
Mitsubishi, together with race instructor and Subic raceway official
Kookie Ramirez, devised a course where the invited media folk could
glean the driving prowess of the new Lancer EX in a safe and
controlled manner. The exercises, therefore, called for drivers to
take sweeping bends, combinations of fast and slow corners, a slalom
course, high-speed runs and ABS-inducing braking maneuvers. Which
ensured the event wasn’t only educational but downright fun as
well.
Of course, guaranteeing that was the fact the
Lancer EX is a genuinely thrilling drive. The car is offered in
three variants—GT-A, GT and MX—but all powered by Mitsubishi’s
4B11 2.0-liter, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine that’s
equipped with the carmaker’s MIVEC intelligent variable valve
timing technology. Two gearboxes are available: a five-speed manual
for the GT model while the GT-A and MX get the company’s
“smart” INVECS-III-fitted six-mode continuously variable
transmission.
In whatever guise, the engine puts out 153
horsepower at a lofty 6,000rpm which, honestly, does not exactly
sound intimidating. However, it’s the 199 Newton-meter of torque,
achieved at a more usable 4,250rpm, that puts the oomph in the car.
So at the racetrack, the Lancer EX manages to scoot away from
corners pretty expediently and reach triple-digit speeds at the
third-gear straightaway.
Equally important, it’s this willing torque
rating that allows a driver to save his butt (and expensive pieces
of the Lancer EX) by throttle-steering the car after it got out of
shape in mid-corner because it carried too much speed going in.
Although I deny I am referring to myself in this case.
The Lancer EX’s excellent composure also plays
a major role, of course. The car has McPherson struts with coil
springs and a stabilizer bar in front while fitted in the rear is a
multilink setup, also tempered by a stabilizer bar. Again, the
Lancer EX’s suspension system doesn’t sound like it’s anything
to crow about.
But it’s the manner by which Mitsubishi
engineers have tuned it that makes the car handle impressively. Its
damping is perfectly compromised between comfort and control, and it
rebounds predictably when the car is pitched from one direction to
another. Best thing about it is how composed and forgiving it is
when an overzealous driver steps beyond its handling limits, the car
obediently responding to the fumbling driver’s ham-fisted
correction inputs. Although I deny yet again that I am referring to
myself in this case.
The Lancer EX’s brakes are hard to fault
either. The GT-A and GT get 16-inch discs all around while the MX
has 16-inch discs in front and a leading and trailing drum kit in
the rear. All are equipped with ABS with EBD and brake assist. On
the racetrack, the brakes provide good pedal feel, are virtually
fade-free even in the most spirited of runs and bite decisively. The
MX, however, is a little skittish in straight-line hard braking,
probably due to its rear drum brakes and smaller 16-inch tires.
Speaking of which, the GT-A and GT are fitted
with huge 18-inch wheels wrapped in high-performance 215/45 tires
while the MX, as noted above, wears smaller 205/60 tires on 16-inch
alloys.
The Lancer EX driver grips a three-spoke, audio
control-fitted, leather-wrapped steering wheel that connects to a
rack-and-pinion system. While precise and ideally weighted, the
steering system’s power assist annoyingly cuts its boost off in
vigorous maneuvers, calling for the driver to make an extra amount
of tug at the wheel for the car to track the intended line. Nothing
really bothersome, though, just a bit surprising when you first
encounter it.
Inside the box
The car’s cabin is businesslike and
subdued—which is to say, tasteful. The dark color scheme is
brightened in places by polished metal-like accents and the
instrumentation glow in a legible but soothing red-orange light. As
befits its sporty nature, the Lancer EX’s seats are covered with
fabric.
Audiophiles would appreciate the GT-A’s
Rockford Fosgate six-CD in-dash MP3 and tuner head unit,
particularly because it hollers its sound (or those coming from
one’s external MP3 player) to nine speakers around the cabin,
counting a subwoofer and four tweeters. There’s nothing to
complain about in the GT’s and MX’s sound systems too, as both
pack similar six-CD in-dash MP3/tuner units with six speakers.
Regarding safety features, the Lancer EX was
built with Mitsubishi’s Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution
technology that cocoons the passenger cell. It also has Adaptive
Front Lighting System, where the headlights “throw” illumination
into the direction the steering wheel is turned at.
Thankfully, the car’s numerous airbags
weren’t put to the test at the Subic driving event. The GT-A and
GT variants have new drivers’ knee airbags along with the standard
dual front ones, but the GT-A trumps side and curtain airbags,
totaling its count to seven.
Sheet-metal sculpture
As cars go, no amount of superb engineering or
features counts for anything if the package it is housed in is
unappealing, and certainly, the Lancer EX does not have this
problem. Mitsubishi says the new car’s jet fighter-inspired grille
and slim headlights make for sporty and confident looks.
We say the car is well proportioned, with
dynamic styling that appears it’s traveling at ludicrous speeds
even when it’s parked by the roadside. Its lines are crisp, its
musculature defined, a menacing automotive sculpture enhanced by
aerodynamic spoilers and side skirts. The new car is also longer,
wider and taller than the previous Lancer, and sits on a longer
wheel-base too.
Colors available for the Lancer EX are Carbon
Black, Sapporo Silver, Amazon Red, Adobe Grey, White Solid and Deep
Blue Mica and Claysoil Beige for the MX variant only. The GT-A sells
for P1.125 million, the GT for P1.018 million and the MX for
P990,000. For those prices, one gets a genuine track star.
|
