Test drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV 1996 - 1998 sedan

Rich "Ulan"

The new generation of Lancer (in English Ulan), the popular Mitsubishi model, has been officially sold in Russia since the fall of 1996. It is produced with the body of the hatchback (Mitsubishi Colt) and the sedan. With the wagon body, the former Lancer is going on. Gasoline engines, with a working volume of 1.3 and 1.6 liters. The gearbox is a mechanical five -speed or four -speed machine. It is delivered to Russia only with a 1.3-liter engine.
What attracts a Russian buyer in imported cars? High running qualities, convenience, cozy salon. And, of course, not the last thing for the majority is a moderate price. Having rolled over for many years in uncomfortable, noisy, unreliable cars, a person wants to get for his blood power and comfort. And if this very power under the hood is not so much - what do you order the client to lure so that he, picky, did not run away to the competitor and the money prepared for the purchase of a car, did not take to him?
Lancer cannot boast of impressive numbers in the technical characteristic of Lancer: the engine is a thousand three hundred, seventy -five forces - this is almost like our eight, he will notice a different one. And although the Japanese is noticeably faster and more dynamic than most domestic cars, the stereotype still works and wonders: is it not weak? Yes, in this class on cars you will find engines and volume more and more powerful. It is clear that those cars are running faster. But Lancer has his own trump card - it is unlikely that one of the classmates can compare with him in the rich configuration: the list of equipment consists of 42 points! I will not list all the cup holders, heating and servo drives - it’s easier to say what is not on this list. Unfortunately, there is no anti -lock brake system there.
You can weigh the pros and cons of it endlessly. But still the best way to understand the car is to travel on it. Which we did. What is it, a small car with the convenience of a solid sedan?
The body is 3.8 points. Well, he's not so small. The new Lancer compared to his ancestor slightly grew up: it became 20 mm longer, 10 mm higher and wider. The body is designed again, so that only the name and ... the engine actually remained from the old car.
The creations of the bio -design, it seems, are a thing of the past: Lancer is not trying to resemble a funny animal. On the contrary, strict lines, no extractas - and in the end ... The silver car, in our opinion, looks great on the road. You can even note some solidity, not laid for class reasons.
Anyone who is driving will never call this car cramped, although he often reaches comfort, infringing on the rights of the rear passengers. They have to squeeze, especially if not Pigma sits ahead. The latter are not averse to oppress the rear even more, but the possibilities of adjustment here do not allow this. Passengers of the average complexion will share the space of the passenger compartment without mutual claims.
The luggage compartment is not record, the back of the rear seat, as it is now supposed to be a well -equipped car, is laid out in parts. However, having back the back, we find not a free opening, but a kind of hatch in the bulk between the salon and the trunk. Probably, such a design has an engineering justification, but the formed luggage volume is not one, but as if dilapidated.
The driver's workplace is 3.8 points. The first thing that even the most non -observant of us noticed was the thick backs of the front seats, appropriate, rather, in an overseas road cruiser than in a compact car, where every centimeter is on the account. Although, if you distract from love for your neighbor, I note that sitting behind the wheel of Lancer is quite convenient. And the passengers from behind, I repeat, will impede their knees.
We will not stop at the review from the car, everything is in order here. The same can be said about the dashboard: simply, strictly, without innovation, is well read and easily perceived.
At first, it is somewhat unusual to feel the steering wheel in your hands, the rim of which in the section resembles a rectangle with rounded corners. But you quickly get used to it - that's all. But none of us is used to finding a blind handbrake. I had to almost look for him. It is located on the right side of the floor tunnel and almost pressed to the passenger seat.
Someone noticed that the gear lever could be shorter - perhaps he is right. The main thing is that even with many hours of driving around the city, these little things do not tire in Lanser.
Movement - 3.8 points. What is the 1300-cow motor in modern performance? Touching! No bass notes in the sound of the exhaust - the motor is exactly buzzing and the shooter crawls on the tachometer scale just as smoothly. The next gear is equally uniform, without obvious failures and seizures acceleration. Further in the same spirit to ... no, the achievement of maximum speed was not included in our plans. In the usual urban mode and on the suburban highway, there are quite enough car capabilities. The twelve -valve engine, which migrated to the new Lancer from earlier models, made it not so often to switch to a reduced gear, as it could be expected. The gear rates of the transmission are selected quite successfully and make it possible to fully realize the capabilities of a small motor. The dynamics of acceleration and the maximum speed called the manufacturer say that the car turned out to be quite nimble. Subjectively, acceleration does not seem especially swift-probably due to the expectation that the engine is about to pick up, and he continues to accelerate the car evenly and calmly. And there is no sound accompaniment - the motor in the cabin is barely audible.
In the turns, Mitsubishi Lancer will not let you down a more or less experienced driver. If you do not make gross errors, the car is predictable and friendly. And errors happen. How many accidents occurred due to the fact that the driver with a fright hit the brakes in the bend. And under the wheels of puddles, or snow, or even dry asphalt, but the speed is high - that is lost control of the car. ABS, perhaps somewhere and reduces the intensity of deceleration, but control allows you to maintain. For Lancer, this system, necessary in the country of long winter and slippery roads, alas, is not provided. And there are no complaints about the effectiveness of its brakes.
Comfort - 4.2 points. The Lancer suspension is not the most stringent, but not the top of comfort: passengers grunted from behind by displeasure when moving the next pothole was transmitted to their sciatic with sensitive shocks. But the ears are resting: sound insulation is made at a very high level. The presence of the air conditioner captivates, but it will be needed in a hot season. And in winter, the heating system worked for a conscience.
The configuration of the machine has already been mentioned. For its class, we repeat, this is a very high level. And when there is almost everything in the car, an additional list, of course, is small. But the buyer still has the possibility of choosing. Lancer is offered in three configuration options. In the most modest, for example, there are no airbags, electric windows, heating of mirrors, and the list of equipment at 10 points is shorter than what is attached to the maximum machine that visited the editorial office. This simplification, of course, is reflected in the price.
Operation, service - 3.3 points. The engine operates on gasoline with an octane number 92. Lancer is equipped with a catalytic neutralizer, which means that the tetraethylsvin is afraid. Service stations in Moscow will provide maintenance and repair almost any complexity. In the vastness of the vast Motherland with the service is much more complicated.
The editors thank the company Diamant for the car provided.
 
Press about Mitsubishi Lancer
Alas, today Japanese cars are accepted in Europe very cool. None of the European magazines held the full -scale single test of Mitsubishi Lancer, and yet its sale began a year earlier. Lancer appeared only in a few comparative tests and acquaintances, and therefore notes about him are fragmentary.
Among the positive aspects are noted: good assembly quality, a spacious interior (for the driver and front passenger), predicted behavior in turns. Among the shortcomings are fuzzy gear shift, mediocre suspension comfort at full load. And, of course, from German colleagues got the brakes - for the lack of ABS and overheating of the disks during multiple braking. The moderate price, a rich set of serial equipment did not help to persuade the opinion in favor of Lancer.
The European buyer (journalist?) Today requires a car with character, for bright appearance and acute reactions, forgiving objective flaws. But in Japan, the opposite is true. Here in price - the quality, reliability and effectiveness of the adopted technical decisions.
 
Technical characteristics of the car Mitsubishi Lancer-1,3
General data: number of places - 5; Equipped mass - 1000 kg; total mass - 1485 kg; maximum speed - 170 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 12.5 s; fuel consumption at 90; 120 km/h and Hz - 5.1; 6.5; 7.8 l/100 km; The volume of the trunk is 420 liters. Dimensions, mm: length - 4295; width - 1690; height - 1395; base - 2500; The track of the wheels: front/rear - 1450/1460. Engine: gasoline, four -cylinder, in order, with distributed fuel injection, it is installed in front of the front; the number of valves per cylinder is 3; working volume - 1299 cm; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 71x82 mm; compression degree - 9.5; Power - 55 kW/75 hp at 6000 rpm; The maximum torque is 108 N.M at 3000 rpm. Transmission: drive - on the front wheels; gearbox - mechanical five -speed; Transporting numbers: I - 3.58; II - 1.95; III - 1.34; IV - 0.98; V - 0.8; h. X. - 3.42; The main gear is 4.06. Suspensions: front - like McExeson; The back is multi -link. Brakes: front - circular ventilated; The rear is drum. Tire size - 175/70R13.
 
Summary. For an aggressive driver, Lancer is boring, for an everyday acceleration car too richly packed. He, perhaps, will be attracted to those who nevertheless put comfort at the forefront, but can count money. At the same time, running qualities will not be sacrificed at all. They, in general, are no worse than many other cars.
A twelve -valve engine with a volume of 1.3 liters copes very well with duties.
A pillow of safety is packed in the helm of the steering wheel, there is a second one for the passenger. On the central console - control of a microclimate, on the door - the windows of the windows. But there is no full -time music, although the speakers and wiring are installed.
The trunk is not great, but not small.
 
Igor Solidov
Photo by Vladimir Knyazev
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"