Mitsubishi Lancer Wagon: First Look

By Feann Torr

With the Toyota Corolla wagon firmly in its crosshairs, Mitsubishi's new-look Lancer wagon has been re-introduced in a bid to woo fleet and private buyers alike.

Two models will be offered in the CH Lancer wagon range, where the entry-level ES variant is expected to appeal to fleet buyers with a price tag of $21,990, while the flashier VR-X model is aimed at private buyers, fetching $28,440.

Mitsubishi wanted to make a move on the small wagon market, which at present is dominated by the Corolla, and has gone to great lengths to make sure its new wagon is a contender.

First and foremost is the new look, which brings the wagon in line with the rest of the updated CH Lancer range.

From the front, the Lancer wagon has a "swoopy" bonnet in Mitsubishis own words, with aggressively styled headlights that have made the transition from the sedan, as has the twin nostril grille. From the rear however, the car is quite different to the sedan, and presents very well indeed.

The large rear window and tailgate integrate nicely into the Lancer form, and the slim line brake light array adds a touch of sophistication to proceedings.

It's also interesting to note (particularly for those carrying valuable cargo) that save for the front side windows and front windscreen, the rest of the windows come with a good level of tinting.

The VR-X model has more eye candy than its lower-priced sibling, and in addition sitting lower to the ground, with stiffer suspension and bigger 16-inch alloy wheels (ES gets 15-inch steel rims), it gets a fully bodykit including deeper front and rear aprons, plus side skirts and foglights.

Besides the new look, the new wagon obviously has more boot space than the sedan, and this will be another key selling point.

At the launch, Mitsubishi was quick to tout how much room the Lancer has - a not-to-be-scoffed-at 591 litres, which, to put things in perspective with a larger car, is some 126 litres more than a new VZ Commodore sedan.

There are also a few handy storage solutions set into the floor of the boot, which include a 28 litre tidy box, together with a pair of 2 litre storage spaces.

In addition to the stowage cubbies, fold the 60:40 split rear seats down and you'll be rewarded with a cavernous 1079 litres, which is enough space for a couple of tredleys, or a half-dozen boxes full of frozen meat pies. The cargo area also has an accessory/power socket and a cargo blind comes as standard.

I mentioned in the Lancer VR-X sedan road test that the car had good levels of interior space, and the same goes for the new Lancer wagon.

Though it is technically a small car, its dimensions are such that it's getting close to that of a mid-sized car, and the cockpit offers ample space, even for folks measuring more than 6-feet tall.

Despite its small-car origins, the Lancer Sportswagon comes equipped with an impressive number of safety features, least of which are driver and passenger airbags standard across the range. As well as a rigid body shell, or RISE (Realised Impact Safety Evolution), height adjustable 3-point lap sash seat belts with pre-tensioners and force limiters are fitted to the two front seats, and the three second row seat belts are also 3-point lap sash belts.

'Sportswagon' is a word that Mitsubishi had been using frequently to describe the longer Lancer, and one of the reasons for this is because the new wagon range is offered with not just a 5-speed manual transmission, but a 4-speed INVECS II intelligent automatic with 'Sports Mode' sequential shifting as well.

The sequentially shifting gearbox is not an option on the sedan models, and is intended to increase the wagon's sporting image.

Both the VR-X and ES models get disc brakes at all four corners as well (276mm front, 262mm rear), where sedan models except for the VR-X get drum brakes at the rear, again highlighting the wagon's sharper intent. ABS and EBD are a $1000 optional extra on both models.

Motivation for the new Lancer wagon is provided by Mitsubishi's 2.0-litre 16-valve, single overhead camshaft 4-cylinder engine, and compares well with its main competitor from fellow Japanese marque Toyota.

Maximum power for the new Lancer wagon is 92kW @ 5500rpm, and while the Corolla pips it with 100kW @ 6000rpm, the small Mitsu wins out when talking torque. It manages 173Nm @ 4250rpm, where the smaller Toyota engine ekes out 171Nm.

Mitsubishi is hoping to sell roughly 250 units of the new Lancer wagon every month - 200 of the entry-level ES model and 50 of the sporty VR-X model - taking away some of the Corolla sedan's market share. Mitsubishi also reckons that the Nissan Pulsar 5-door hatch, Holden Astra 5-door hatch and Mazda3 5-door hatch are 'secondary' competitors, while niche luxury models like the Peugeot 307 SW may also be in the firing line.

The new Lancer wagon range is easy on the eye, packed with more features than the sedan and offers impressive levels of interior space for buyers who want more room than what a small sedan or hatchback provides.

Mitsubishi has done an excellent job on the styling front - the VR-X model will turn heads, no doubt about that - and with competitive pricing and an economical engine, the Lancer wagon will give the market segment a good shake up when it arrives in October 2004. We'll have a full road test of the wagon soon, so stay tuned.

Pricing:
Lancer wagon ES: $21,990
Lancer wagon VR-X: $28,440

Options:
Metallic/pearlescent paint: $240
ABS with EBD: $1,000
Side and curtain air bags: $1,500
Side and curtain air bags/ABS: $2,500
Electric slide/tilt sunroof: $1,600 (VR-X only)