The Mitsubishi Lancer was ubiquitous in the 1980s and 1990s, then it just faded away. But now, writes Paddy Comyn, it's back, and back with a vengeance: with the new Lancer, Mitsubishi has produced one of the year's best cars.
Mitsubishi Lancer CC: 1499 0-100km/h: 11.6 seconds Max Speed: 191km/h Bhp: 109 Consumption 6.4 l/100km (44.1 mpg) Price: €22,495
If you see some bewildered looking faces walking about these days, they are probably the confused Irish motorist. They are suffering from a sort of Shakespearean nightmare - to buy or not to buy, that is the question.
While it would appear from a recent survey that 42 per cent of Irish motorists intend to defer their new car purchase until July, when the new VRT system comes into force, sales of new cars appear to be up on last year already.
The general consensus appears to be that if you intend to buy a large, less fuel-efficient car then do it now, but more fuel-efficient cars such as diesels could well be worth waiting for.
Whether they intend to wait or not, the buyers in the family car segment have their own set of confusions, what with the ever growing choice of makes and models. And one of the most competitive and cut-throat is the small to medium-sized family car segment, which has been dominated by the Ford Focus over the past number of years.
With a new model arriving in March, boasting a range of new engines including some VRT-busting diesels, the situation at the top of that particular chart is unlikely to change too much. But one car that should give Ford something to think about this year is the new Mitsubishi Lancer, which is about to stage the most impressive of motoring comebacks.
There was a time, back in the late 1980s and early 1990s where the Mitsubishi Lancer was everywhere. We loved them in Ireland because it was a superb car that felt substantial, looked good and was reliable.
Then the Lancer started to evolve alongside its rally-inspired Evolution version and it wasn't always for the better. The Evolution models got better, but it seemed as if Mitsubishi took the eye off the ball with its mainstream Lancer.
It became increasingly bland and felt flimsy and downgraded compared to its strongest rivals.
However, you can forget all that now, because Mitsubishi has produced one of this year's best cars.
The new Lancer is first and foremost an impressive looking car. Mitsubishi were said to have used cars like the Volvo S40 and Alfa Romeo's 159 as its inspiration when designing the new model, and this is quite apparent from various angles, especially at the rear, where you could well be staring at something that would come from an Italian hand.
The front is aggressive without being fussy and overall this car, which sits on Mitsubishi's new global platform, has an advantage over many of its rivals in terms of size - this is a big car that would not embarrass itself in a larger segment.
Inside, the good work continues. There is a very smart instrument binnacle and while the interior is a little short on soft-touch plastics, everything has a clean, uncluttered appearance.
The simplicity of the range will also go some way to helping the undecided. While so many rivals will give you an exhaustive range and endless choice, there are just two options to choose from for now - the manual or the automatic.
The regular specification of the car is very impressive, with smart 16-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, air-conditioning and a bluetooth hands-free kit as standard, without having to tick any boxes at the dealership.
Sharing DNA with the forthcoming Lancer Evolution X, a rally car for the road, the Lancer also acquits itself brilliantly out on the open road. With a compliant, comfortable ride, yet incredibly communicative steering, this car is at home on a motorway or a twisty back road in equal measures.
We took this car over a wide variety of road surfaces and over several hundred kilometres, and it proved itself to be both comfortable and agile in equal measure.
Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre petrol engine putting out 109bhp, which is about the same as most of its rivals manage with a further 100cc, and while it is not exactly ferocious, it is surprisingly perky. Where there is an obvious drawback is at motorway speeds, where the five-speed manual transmission is crying out for an extra gear as the engine starts to sound raucous and strained, and this can grate on the ear unless you really crank up the radio.
Getting from 0-100km/h takes 11.6 seconds which makes it peppier than many of its closest rivals, and a combined fuel economy figure of 6.4l/100km is both believable and respectable.
In terms of safety equipment, the Lancer is well-appointed. There are no fewer than nine airbags, including a driver's kneebag. The door pillars and side roof use energy-absorbing trim that reduces impact on an occupant's head in the case of a crash. The Lancer employs Mitsubishi's Rise (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) uni-body that brings advances in multi-directional impact safety performance.
The design disperses energy loads during side and rear impacts and controls distortion, aiding occupant protection and also helping to protect the fuel system during a rear impact. There has been no Euro NCAP test for the car as yet, but Mitsubishi is hopeful of attaining the full five-stars in that test.
THE LANCER'S SUBSTANTIAL SIZE makes you think you are driving something from a larger segment and this goes for the quality feel to the product too.
You do need to remind yourself that this car is coming in at under €22,500, making it great value whatever way you look at it.
Compared to its closest rivals, you are going to pay more for a less well-equipped Ford Focus saloon, which we once might have been able to say drives substantially better, but such differences really aren't that apparent anymore.
The Corolla saloon looks and feels of a similar size, but is nowhere near as attractive as the Lancer, and the same can be said of the Volkswagen Jetta, although the VW does have that upmarket badge and perception of quality to its advantage.
The possible drawbacks for now are that the tendency in this segment is for buyers to opt for hatchbacks rather than saloons, with just 35 per cent of buyers going for the three-box design, with the remainder opting for hatchbacks.
There is a five-door sportback version on the horizon, but it won't be around for some time.
The second issue surrounds the engine.
From July, there is likely to be huge shift towards diesel, as its lower emissions will make them cheaper and their power and economy will make them more attractive than ever.
Mitsubishi will have a diesel offering, but it will be a 140bhp 2.0-litre and while the VRT will be lower because of its improved emissions it is still likely to be more expensive than the smaller engined diesels from the likes of Ford, Mazda and Renault.
Little of this really matters though for the remainder of you who are still shopping for an attractive, well-equipped and high-quality family car and, with that in mind, the Lancer must now come high on your priority list.
Factfile
ENGINE:1499cc four-cylinder petrol engine putting out 109bhp @ 6,000rpm and 143Nm of torque @ 4,000rpm. Five speed manual transmission
SPECIFICATION:Standard features include 16" alloy wheels, electric windows front and rear, electric door mirrors, heated door mirrors, remote central locking, bluetooth hands-free phone kit with voice recognition, air-conditioning, CD player with six speakers, ABS with EBD, driver passenger side and curtain airbags and driver's kneebag, multi-function leather steering wheel, leather gearshift knob, front foglamps, colour-keyed bumpers front and rear
L/100KM (MPG)
Urban: 8.8 (32.1)
Extra-urban: 5.5 (51.3)
Combined: 6.4 (44.1)
CO2 EMISSIONS:153g/km
ANNUAL ROAD TAX:€313
PRICE:€22,495