Road Test: Mitsubishi Magna AWD VR-X

By Peter Maniatis - 1/11/04

Like uncovering a unique gem that is pleasing to the eye, the new Magna QuadTec VR-X provides the long awaited polish Mitsubishi Australia needs for its mainstay Magna range to help it find its feet in the tough motoring ring.

Against the likes of Australia's most popular family cars, including the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, it has lost bout after bout in the last 12 months, dropping precious market share, and most of this can be put down to Olivier Boulay's swoopy headlight treatment.

The AWD VR-X closes the gap on reasons why not to buy, and gives new car prospectors a genuine alternative to the Ford-Holden dominance in the large car market.

The recently revised VR-X looks better than before, and performs well, while at the same time providing a solid safety package and excellent value for money.

The Mitsubishi Magna's styling is on the improve

The VR-X would have to be the most stylish version of the new magna range we have test driven so far.

The headlight configuration that has made us all jump back in our seats is more subtle as the boys from Mitsubishi have colour matched the background or the bezels of the headlights to the body.

It makes the front view far more palatable. I'd even go as far to say it was quite nice to look at, and the inclusion of what Mitsubishi calls 'shark eye' fog lights look good also.

The front grille is colour matched to the body giving it a fuller, more complete look as opposed to a hollow feel in the standard blacked out kit.

Rear lights have also been upgraded to look a little more purposeful and modern, giving a potential buyer more reason to purchase.

A darker glass on the background of the rear lights is a nice finishing touch and the rear bumper also gets an new insert of contrasting colour that helps convey the car's sporting intentions.

I must say that the wheels are still short of the mark, not really helping to make the potent VR-X a menacing presence on the road, like the XR Falcons and SS Commodores.

Why are you holding back Mitsubishi? Let's get some deep dish alloys in there. The standard 16-inch wheels fail to do the AWD car justice in my book, where larger, sportier rims would start seeing the Magna heading back up the pop-charts.

Inside, the car is fairly rudimentary, providing plenty of space but with limited comfort and support from the front and rear seats. The interior seating materials feel fairly pedestrian, but are more than adequate for the target market of this car.

The gutsy 3.5-litre engine was a real joy to operate, and the 159kW VR-X version is designed for drivers who want a bit more get-up-and-go than the standard family car - and you can feel it too, through all gears.

The way the car handled cornering was more than acceptable, with a suspension tune that was slightly stiffer than most entry-level family cars. I did, however, find myself hanging on to the steering wheel more tightly than I expected around some sweeping corners.

The automatic gearbox held gears well into the redline in the tiptronic mode and certainly gives the driver a zesty driving experience along with the surprisingly suggestive and throaty note coming from the big bore exhaust pipe. Top marks to the exhaust pipe engineer - sounds great.

The all-paw drivetrain certainly gives the Magna an edge against standard Commodore and Falcon (pity they took those adds off the T.V.). Grip and handling is certainly above the mark, and it felt particularly planted in the wet, which is where - in my opinion - the Australian AWD niche family car will, in time, become standard issue.

Though it's not as thirsty as a V8 engine, it is thirstier than standard front wheel drive Magna drinking more than 12 litres of fuel for every 100 kilometres travelled, but to be fair it won't break the bank and is a fairly economical drive for an engine displacing more than 3.0-litres.

Overall: 3.5/5

The Wombat driving team are starting to look at the evolving Magna in a different light. The styling problem is not really coming from the front anymore - it comes from the rear now.

And if you still don't like the recently updated Magna's styling, Mitsubishi has already added new front bumpers to its Verada range recently, which will eventually trickle down to all Magna models in the near future. Of course, there is also prospect of an all-new Magna, which is due to arrive in late 2005, and is currently codenamed Phoenix.

Still, the current model is definitely a step in the right direction in trying to appease long-time Magna buyers who have been alienated by Olivier Boulay, an ex-Mercedes Benz designer who styled the new front end treatment for Mitsubishi. It also comes with a solid safety package with no less than 4 airbags and all the mod cons you'd expect of a sporty family car.

Performance wise, and the Magna drives well, it offers ample space for the entire family - and good boot space too - and for the price you pay it's not a bad deal at all for the range-topping sports model with the extra traction of AWD. It's all there - one more step and Mitsubishi will be back in the ring.