Mitsubishi Lancer

The Lancer is Mitsubishi’s compact sedan with a rally racing heritage that extends back to the first win by a specially-prepared Lancer in 1973. The Lancer was introduced to the U.S. market as an economical small sedan that is sporty and fun to drive, and a dose of its rally heritage was added with the high-performance all-wheel-drive Lancer Evolution for 2003 and the Ralliart edition for 2004. The 2008 Lancer debuted at the NAIAS 2007 in Detroit with a bold new design featuring a “shark nosed” effect in the front that’s inspired by jet fighter air intakes. Based on a global platform that is also shared by the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Lancer has a longer wheelbase and wider track but the overall length has been reduced. The body structure is stiffer than the previous Lancer which allows for sport-oriented suspension tuning and a smooth, compliant ride. The Lancer Evolution X is expected sometime next year.