Test Drive: 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

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After missing the 2005 model year, the compact Lancer Sportback wagon returns to the Canadian market for 2006 in base LS and sporty Ralliart trim. Unlike the base Lancer ES sedan ($15,998) and mid-range O-Z Rally sedan ($21,378) which offer a rather weak 120-hp 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, the Sportback LS wagon comes standard with a peppy 160-hp 2.4-litre four -cylinder engine and a standard automatic transmission for a base price of $21,598. The sexier Sportback Ralliart ($24,998) (this week’s test car) adds two more horsepower, a stiffer suspension, front strut tower brace, some extra bodywork, larger 16-inch tires and alloy wheels, black mesh grille with orange and red Ralliart badge, ABS, side airbags, leather steering wheel and shift knob, and two-tone sport seats.

That’s in addition to the Sportback’s lengthy list of standard features, including air conditioning, 140-watt AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers, power windows with driver’s auto down, power door locks, remote keyless entry, rear wiper (intermittent) and washer, rear spoiler, roof rails, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, height adjustable driver’s seat, 60/40 split folding rear seatbacks, four-wheel disc brakes, and cargo privacy cover.

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart. Click image to enlarge

Though the Lancer is getting on in years (it was first introduced in 2002) and a redesigned Lancer is coming in March 2007 as a 2008 model (a new Sportback will arrive as a 2009 model), the current Lancer is still a well-made little car that’s roomy, comfortable, easy to drive and reasonably fuel-efficient, and comes with Canada’s best warranty: five years/100,000 km for the whole car, and ten years/160,000 km for the powertrain.

The wagon is by far the most practical bodystyle offering more than twice as much luggage space as the sedan behind the rear seat, and five times as much useable cargo area with the rear seats folded down. In addition, it’s a sharp-looking wagon, particularly the Ralliart model.

The quality of the dash and seat materials is pretty good for a car in this price range, although I think it’s time for a redesign. In particular, I like the Ralliart’s two-tone black and red seats and door inserts which have a subtle red tint. The black interior of my test car had bright trim across the dash and grey metallic trim around the radio.

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart. Click image to enlarge

The centre instrument panel protrudes forwards making it easy to reach the controls, and the round white gauges with black numerals are easy to read. An open storage area below the radio is handy for small items like phones or calculators and there is a cigarette lighter/12-volt outlet for charging. A flip-down tray to the left of the steering wheel is handy for coins, and a couple of open cupholders between the front seats will hold large cups, but unfortunately don’t have adjustable grips for smaller cups. A storage box under the centre armrest is small by today’s standards.

For the driver, outward visibility is excellent, except for the view directly to the rear which is blocked by a solid, centre head restraint. It’s probably best to remove it.

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart. Click image to enlarge

The other four head restraints have donut holes which do help visibility for the driver and passengers. A rear wiper with intermittent wiping is a big help for clearing condensation, ice, rain or snow from the upright rear window while driving.

The rear seats provide generous legroom and headroom for a couple of adults, and the rear seatbacks even recline slightly for more comfort. A fold-down centre armrest at the rear includes a couple of flip-out cupholders

The folding rear seatbacks are easy to fold down – just pull up on a lever on the top of the seatback and pull down – but they don’t fold down perfectly flat. And the removeable sliding privacy cover has to be removed in order to fit larger items, and then stowed somewhere.

The length of the load floor from the rear hatch to the back of the rear seats is 86 cm (34 in.) and with the split folding seatbacks folded down, the cargo floor is about 183 cm (6 ft.) in length. Behind the rear seats there is 705 litres (24.9 cu. ft.), and with both rear seats folded down, there is 1,719 litres (60.7 cu. ft.) That’s not as roomy as the Focus Wagon with 997 litres (35.2 cu. ft.) and 2070 litres (73.1 cu. ft.) respectively.

Under the rear cargo floor is a hidden storage compartment divided into sections, handy for tools, first-aid kits, car care products and anything else you intend to leave in the car on long-term basis.

(MacPherson struts in front and independent multi-links at the rear with front and rear stabilizer bars), but the Ralliart model has stiffer shocks than the LS wagon, and the ride is noticeably stiffer over concrete pavement cracks and road irregularities. Personally, I prefer the ride of the LS wagon, but the Ralliart is definately flatter through the corners and handles better, in part because of the additional brace bar between the front MacPherson strut towers, and its meatier Goodyear Eagle RS-A 205/50R-16 all-season radials (195/60R-15 on LS)

With 162 hp at 5750 rpm and 161 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm, the Sportback Ralliart takes about 9.5 seconds in a 0 to 100 km/h run. It’s quick off the line, and in the 30 to 50 km/h range, but highway passing power leaves a little to be desired. I found the standard four-speed automatic transmission changes quickly and smoothly, but there’s no doubt performance would be better with a manual transmission, which is not offered.

The Sportback’s official fuel consumption figures of city 10.4 L/100 km (27 mpg) and highway 7.3 L/100 km (37 mpg), aren’t as thrifty as the Ford Focus Wagon, but then again, the Focus has a less powerful 136-hp 2.0-litre four cylinder engine.

The Ralliart must have a different muffler to the base Sportback LS because it emits a low rumble at idle, and sounds sportier during acceleration. I hesitate to call it noisy, because that’s part of its sportier character.

The Sportback’s steering is power assisted rack and pinion without variable assist, but I found it easy to turn at slow speeds and quite firm at highway speeds. Its turning diameter of 11.4 metres (37.4 ft.) is wide for a small car, though. Brakes are discs all around with anti-lock and electronic brake differential.

In government crash tests (NHTSA), the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer sedan received top marks: five-stars for the driver and passenger in frontal crash tests. However, it is not yet rated in side impact tests when equipped with side airbags. In frontal offset crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Lancer sedan receive a Good rating, but in side impact tests without side airbags, it was rated Poor. The Lancer Sportback Wagon has not been crash tested.