Road test: Mitsubishi Lancer VR-X

By Feann Torr

The small car market is literally flooded with models from all over the globe, and at present the Japanese are currently the most numerous.

And there's a reason for that - they build really good small cars. Practical too. Mitsubishi's Lancer has always been one of these vehicles, but with the competition hotting up, it'll be interesting to see what develops and who comes out on top.

The CE Lancer, which was built between 1996 and 2002, was a much-loved small car and this was reflected in the sales charts - and following the CE was the angular CG Lancer.

The turbocharged Evolution VII was based on the CG Lancer underpinnings, and now that the the Evolution VIII is winging its way to Australia in mid-2004, the new CH Lancer has also landed, upon which the latter rally car is based.

So what's the take -- can it compete against the current small car champion, Toyota's Corolla, and how about Mazda's reinvigorated offering, the modernistic Mazda3?

Make: Mitsubishi
Model: Lancer VR-X
Price: $26,990
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Engine: 2.0-litre, 16-valve, inline four cylinder
Fuel Consumption: City cycle - 7.8-litres/100km, Highway cycle - N/A
Seats: 5
Safety: Driver and passenger SRS airbag

Drive

Mitsubishi Lancer VR-X

Step into the bright yellow Lancer, adjust the seat, mirrors and steering wheel, then insert the key, and the engine fires quickly.

Like many single overhead camshaft engines however, it doesn't exactly stir the soul with its raspy induction noise.

But the engine acoustics aren't always on the top of the list for small car buyers, and in this instance the car motivates well - a much more important aspect.

The clutch is fairly light underfoot and is eternally usable, while the relatively short gear throws introduce a sense of sportiness to proceedings.

First gear is a bit of a non-event, used purely for getting the Lancer rolling, or up incredibly steep inclines, but in general the 5-speed manual gearbox is quite willing, with second gear being the pick of the bunch.

A couple of times the lever would slip out of gear, but this only happened during hard driving through tight curves punctuated with long straights (where more gear changes occurred), and was probably more due to my brutish manhandling of the shifter than to low quality componentry.

Despite such issues, the VR-X excels in the twisties, and would give much bigger and heavier six and eight cylinder cars something to think about around the tighter corners. Turn-in is quite good for a front wheel driver, and torque steer doesn't ruin the fun when you gas it round corners.

While 92kW of power at the crankshaft isn't insignificant, and a 1195kg kerb weight is far from overweight, I reckon the VR-X badges aren't completely appropriate here - at least in terms of engine performance. The VR-X Magna, for example, gets a significant power boost over its donor car, and though the Lancer VR-X gets improved suspension, it would have been nice to have closer to 100kW to justify the badging.

Still, the suspension does a very good job of keeping all four 16-inch (195/50) tyres gripping the road when the lateral Gs build navigating fast corners.

The VR-X experience is lively and energetic

The independent MacPherson struts up front help the car track round corners in a very linear fashion, and with limited body roll thanks to a fixed mount anti-roll bar up front.

Compared to other Lancers in the range, the VR-X also gets an additional rear stabiliser bar to keep things balanced, and is lowered by 15mm as well.

The brakes do a fairly good job of washing off speed, but are far from fade-free. At the same token, you'd be hard-pressed to find a small car in the same bracket that could withstand the pounding we dished out, and response from the pedal was actually better than I expected.

Communication between driver and the front wheels is good, though in comparison to the Focus or the Astra it does lack some precision.

The steering wheel has a medium weight to it, which is more suited to fanging around corners at speed, and not quite as nimble when you have to do a three-point turn.

In and around town however, the VR-X is very practical. Firstly, it's ease of use during low speed cruising in built-up 40-50km/h zones and its ability to navigate narrow laneways and squeeze into tight parking spots makes for a good case, but the thing that surprised me most was the amount of heads it turned in trendy urban areas. It was quite remarkable.

Perhaps it was the yellow paintjob, or the bodykit, or low profile tyres, or jewelled brake lights. But whatever it was, the young 'uns were keen to ogle.

Engine

The 4G94 engine makes 92kW @ 5500rpm

The Lancer VR-X gets the same 4G94 engine as the rest of the CH Lancer sedan range, and while 2.0-litres is the benchmark displacement for small cars these days, the chassis and suspension could handle a bigger engine without too much trouble (the Evo's have reinforced body structures).

Despite it's sometimes raspy note, the Mitsu engine is an easy character to get along with. Fuel consumption is pretty good, and acceleration will be more than adequate for most drivers.

Vital statistics are as follows: The 1999cc Mitsubishi inline 4-cylinder engine is made up of a cast iron block with aluminium alloy heads and has a single belt-driven overhead camshaft.

Four-valves per cylinder supply fuel and expel exhaust gasses, while a 9.5:1 compression ratio allows for 91 RON petrol to be used in the 50 litre fuel tank. The engine generates 92kW of power @ 5500rpm, while 173Nm of torque peaks @ 4250rpm. On the road, the Lancer starts to really move @ about 4000rpm, and keeps this up until about 6000rpm, which is where another gear is usually required to keep accelerating at a peak level. Top speed is rated as 185km/h.

If you're not one of these 'go hard, or go home' types, the Lancer will oblige just as willingly, trundling along @ 2000rpm in almost any gear, though don't expect the response to be crisp if you flatten your right foot at such engine speeds.

Exterior

Judging by all the looks that I got when cruising through Melbourne's CBD and the often jam-packed Chapel Street on a balmy Friday night (for "Chap-laps", I've been informed), the VR-X turned many more heads than I would have thought.

Mid-height spoiler with LED stop light adds style, as do jewelled brake lights

It has a great presence on the road, and though few cars look good in bright yellow - exotica being the exception - the VR-X didn't look bad at all.

The new look front end, with more curves than the previous model (to the chagrin of many) helps bring the Lancer inline with Mitsubishi's global 'face'.

Together with the twin-port grille and low-level fog lights, the front end looks good. Spin around to the rear, and things get even better in my humble opinion.

The jewelled brake light cluster gives the VR-X more differentiation from the lesser Lancers, and together with the centrally mounted roof aerial, rear spoiler and the profile-enhancing bodykit, the Lancer VR-X is a more engaging car to look at that the Corolla or Astra.

The 16-inch alloy wheels with their 'twin' five-spoke design are aesthetically pleasing both when stationary and when spinning, while body-coloured side mirrors finish off the impressive exterior styling nicely.

Interior

While it may not be the most inviting car to step inside, looks can be deceiving, and in this instance the Lancer proves that point.

From the driver's point of view, the interior is well-appointed and everything is within easy reach. The steering wheel feels good - and looks good - and though the switchgear won't tantalise your fingers with tactile subtleties, it does well enough for a small car.

The model we drove was fitted with the sunroof, which costs an extra $1600, and this gave the already large interior an even more open feel. Despite measuring almost 4.6 metres from nose to tail, and just under 1.7 metres wide, the interior of the Lancer is deceptively large, and this is one of the car's greatest assets.

White dials look gear, and the large interior is a surprisingly welcome feature for the small car

Those in the market for a small car with good looks, but a big enough interior to seat four comfortably (five people is a stretch) while still offering 430 litres of boot space would be hard pressed to pass up the new five-door CG Lancer sedan.

There was slightly higher-than-average levels of road noise creeping into the cabin at times, but mostly on older, chunkier roads, and the stereo did a solid job of muting any such monotonous sounds.

Mitsubishi hasn't gifted the VR-X with the most ergonomic of front seats, with largely flat cushions, but even with the lack of curves, they manage to a do good job at keeping your butt from falling asleep.

The centre console is quite a fancy-looking setup with easy-to-understand audio and heating controls. Standard features such as electric windows and mirrors, central locking and air-conditioning sweeten the deal, while the white instruments dials (speedo, tacho) give the car a sporty edge.

Overall: 3/5

To Mitsubishi's credit, the VR-X is an accomplished small car, let down only in the powertrain department.

Even then, it still manages to perform above the norm, and when you factor in the spacious interior and appealing exterior, the package makes more sense. With a solid chassis and sporty suspension, the VR-X badges amount to more than just window dressing, gifting the Lancer with largely enjoyable handling characteristics.

The VR-X scores only three wombats because for $27,000, the 92kW engine can't match the current crop of sporty small cars, such the Mazda3, whose base engine packs 12kW more power.

But if having the fastest small car on the block is not an issue, the VR-X's positive road presence, tidy handling and roomy interior amount to a very practical vehicle in what is one of the toughest and most competitive market segments in Australia today.