Test drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX 2005 - 2007 sedan

Cavalry of a new wave

Imagine such a picture. Finland. Forest. Hard relief. Gravel road up and down, with closed turns, one of the special stages of the route of the famous rally thousand lakes. Mitsubishi Lancer of a new generation rushes through gravel. Speed \u200b\u200bof about a hundred per hour. The wheels of one side in a bend treacherously fall on a wet clay-grass curb. The car immediately twists the car, it goes sideways from the highway, hits a stone and ... and makes double ears, breaking young trees along the way.


Lancer software, in the trash, to smithereens. There is no restoration. And with people nothing. Nothing! They remained intact and unscathed, clamped in a residential capsule with airbags. The driver, however, complained about pain in his side, but local Aesculapius, having trampled 99 euros for the inspection, said that nothing was wrong. The navigator for half a day combed some kind of dust from his hair and swearing deliciously. At dinner, the participants in the incident and sympathetic colleagues calmed down with good doses of anti -stress. They used for the second birth of lumberjacks, for the rescuing Lancer, as well as for everything that ends well.


This is an annoying episode of the Paneuroic journalistic test drive of the new Mitsubishi Lancer in Finland, in the vicinity of the city of Yuvaskul. Naturally, an ominous Russian question arises: who is to blame?.


The car is certainly not to blame. This is an ordinary mass -class car, not a rally beast, but in that situation, probably, a rally could fly away. Undoubtedly, the driver is to blame, which he himself admitted. Racing excitement, underestimation of the route, explicit excess of reasonable speed, etc. The gravel thing is dangerous. On it, perhaps, the most advanced system of course sustainability, if it here, would not save. Personally, I went carefully on those roads (if only because in the route legend it was written: attention! Danger!), And still, sometimes slightly drove from side towards gravel.


Of course, Mitsubishi employees took what happened as a complete nightmare. Still would! The latest model, presentation on the nose, the start of sales is just around the corner and here you are. However, there is no thin one without good. I repeat: the situation is deadly and people are unharmed. This says a lot. We assume that the passive security test new Lancer withstood brilliantly ...


So, the new Mitsubishi Lancer. Is the ninth -generation joke. And, one might say, the anniversary. The first Lancer appeared exactly 30 years ago, in 1973 it was, of course, a rear -wheel drive car. The model almost immediately established itself as a magnificent athlete: her charged versions of 1600 GSR and Mark 1600 GSR began to lightly generally rivals on very difficult Safari rally and the southern cross. Which, of course, played a large role in promoting the civil versions to the market. In 1978, the second -generation car Lancer Ex, nicknamed the Italian, since his style was developed by the Italian designer Aldo Sezano. Two years later, Lancer Ex 2000 Turbo appeared in this generation. An interesting model, which even in the civilian version could participate in races (by the way, it was the forerunner of Evolution, which appeared in the 90s). Riding cars were produced until 1982, when they were replaced by Lancer Fiore the first front -wheel drive in the family. Well, then the development went even at the same time: just a station wagon, a station wagon with all-wheel drive, hatchback, sedans, an electric car (yes, there was such Lancer Libero Electric Vehicle) ... Generations and modifications changed like pictures in a kaleidoscope.


The current, ninth, for Europe is not simple, but as if reviving. The fact is that officially Lancer Sedan was absent in the European market for seven years, and the Lancer universal even more than eleven. There are many reasons for this; The main one, apparently, was that the Japanese did not want to overshadow the life of their Carisma model, created in 1995 for Europe (and produced in the same place) to fill the niche between classes C and D. Now that Carisma was completely held as a market fighter, in Europe decided to return Lancer. First of all, of course, as a self-value golf class model. In addition, there is a secondary, but also important task: the appearance of Lancer should help more accurately determine the situation on the entire small -leaf front before joining the NCC (New Compact Car), a car of class B, which will be launched into the market in 2004.


Freshly baked Lancer (for Europe) Mitsubishi model after Space Star and Outlander, released as part of a proprietary new wave (there is also Grandis, but it will enter the European market later than Lancer). What is a new wave? This is primarily a radical change of style. Not at an hour on a teaspoon, not facelifting strokes, but just so revolutionary, seriously and for a long time. Approximately like Ford with his famous New Edge. The revolution has matured in a Japanese company for a long time, but only in the spring of 2001 could be translated from the underlying stage in the obvious, when Oliva Bula became the chef designer. Since then, nine concepts! Everyone was created in the line of the new philosophy, but each with a certain application. Well, and the serial, as we see, went very specimenous.


Olivier Bula is notable for the personality. They say about him that he manages to rush at the same time in the clouds (the artist all the same!) And stand tight on the ground. Here is his vision of the new design concept of Mitsubishi: the uniqueness of cars is that their emotional component is much higher than that of anything else produced by a person; In the new style, we must integrate everything Japanese from ancient architecture, graphics and packaging design up to the last achievements in the field of electronics; Motorsport is a constant source of inspiration for me; The basis is a powerful engineering base; Add here typically Japanese simplicity of forms and get the concept of style.


How do you like this recipe? I personally like it. The models are really interesting. The only thing, perhaps, that I personally feel sorry for the design of the philosophy did not change the basic color of the machines. Yes, I know that the proprietary color of Mitsubishi is silver. I know that silver metallic is best sold, and a mass client must be respected. It's clear. But! Look around. Boring and banal: almost every second new car on the street silver. They say this is the color of technological progress, the color of the future. But this is not the future that will be (I hope), but the way we see it from the filing of the Massquulture. Take movie science fiction: for some reason, people are dressed in some kind of aluminum overalls, live in aluminum dwellings, eat with silver plastic dishes, travel and fly in silver devices ... Plus, many are many bald, even women. Brrr! I do not want to go to such a future. It’s a pity, but it is the mass culture that forms our tastes. No, I am not against silver color as such. I'm just against his dominance ...


This critical mood found me when I sat down in the new Lancer Sedan, the main color for him will be silver.


But how glad I was when I found out that the base color of the station wagon was determined by dark red! A sort of Bordeaux good endurance and proper fantasy. It goes a lot to the car. Probably, the Japanese remembered that the olan (Lancer translated from the English Ulan) cavalrymen with peaks in the troops of many countries were dressed in red ...


Interestingly, there is no hatchback in the body range. This is quite unusual, because the vast majority of golf-class models is the hatchback is the main type of body, they dance from it when creating a sedan and station wagon. By the way, that is why the sedan and the station wagon are often not very successful in design everything is sharpened under the main version, while others are, as it were, optional. Lancer does not have such discrimination, he has both basic bodies! The Japanese position them as two separate market offers and emphasize that the station wagon is not at all an appendage to the sedan in the model range. Therefore, probably, the basic colors are different hints of the self -worth of each version without linking to another.


Why is there no hatchback? Because this type of body has very weak chances in the Japanese and North American markets, and it does not make sense to import it there. And in Europe, where golf class hatchbacks are very fond of, competition is too great. So the Japanese decided to follow the path of least resistance. Maybe it is correctly emphasized what is strong. The audience has long been accustomed to the fact that Lancer is either a sedan or a station wagon. Well, good. Let it be, and the flag in their hands.


Why will the sedan and the station wagon go to the market not in one team, but with two separate offers? This is a purely marketing move. In fact, of course, the model is one, but different body versions have to be positioned differently depending on the sales market. In Russia, golf class sedans are still more popular than station wagons. In Europe, on the contrary. Accordingly, priorities are also separated. The rating of ten of the most important markets for the new Lancer (in decreasing order), according to the estimates of Mitsubishi marketers, will look as follows. Sedan: Russia, Israel, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, Poland. Universal: Germany, Sweden, Holland, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Austria. As you can see, we are the first in the sedane list, and in the universal only the ninth.


The above does not mean at all that sedans will be sold to us on every corner, and you will not find a station wagon during the day with fire. The ratings are based on the expected demand. You ask the station wagon and get it. It will cost about $ 1.5 thousand more than the sedan, all other things being equal.


The motor gamut for the new Lancer consists of three gasoline engines: 1.3; 1.6 and 2.0 l with a power, respectively, 82, 98 and 135 hp Everyone satisfies the ecological standards of the euro 4. The following are expected to be the following. The station wagon will not have a 1.3 liter of a motor vehicle weak for a cargo machine. At first, the sedan will not have a powerful two -liter this version will appear only in the spring of next year.


Unfortunately, on the Finnish test drive, I was not able to skate a car with a 1.3-liter engine. There were many journalists, they changed cars on the principle of how to agree, but it was not always possible to catch the right version at the transplants of the route. For the same reason, an automatic machine passed by me. It is a pity, of course: the famous adaptive 4-speed InVecs-II Sports Mode is used here, this system has long been tested on other Mitsubishi models, and it would be interesting to feel how it behaves on the new Lancer. Well, okay, it will appear in Russia to feel and evaluate. The company's marketers, by the way, have already appreciated it (literally) a car with a machine gun will be more expensive than the same, but with mechanics, somewhere for $ 1160. Along the way, I note that the machine rely only to the 1.6-liter engine.


And now about what managed to skate and feel.


Sedan with a 1.6 liter engine and mechanics. The expression is what the doctor prescribed in this case just about this engine. It is not without reason that it is assigned the main in the Lancer motor range. Not a beast, but not Rochl. Everything that is entrusted to him is working out perfectly. No surprises, no failures.


Not a 1.6-liter motor and on a station wagon. But, let's say, almost close. Do not be alarmed, it is normally pulling in all modes, but here he has a reserve of opportunities less than on the sedan. This is understandable: firstly, there is some difference in the weight of the body versions, and secondly, the universal will, of course, have more sailing. However, you can feel the difference in the behavior of the engine there and the si, only when you jump from one car to another, as I did in the process of a test drive.


The driving habits of the 1.6-liter Lancer are the most ordinary. This is a car without accents, the normal mass model. Rides. He rides well. Provides quite comfortable transportation of people and cargo. What else to demand from a car of this class?


On the asphalt, the sedan and the station wagon are close to habits. And on the mentioned ill -fated gravel, the differences were manifested only in the fact that the station wagon was a little more driven to the sides, but it was noticeable only with a fairly active steering wheel.


A mansion in the range is a station wagon with a 2-liter engine. He is declared as an athlete, and really relevant claims are clearly visible here. Take, for example, the interior. Unlike the salons of unsportsmanlike versions made in a calm style, the salon of a 2-liter station wagon is very emotional. White dials of instruments, a three -spicstean steering wheel Momo, slightly bucket front chairs, black velor with perforated inserts, leather and chrome on the levers of the checkpoint and handbrake ... Naturally, in a technical plan, the machine is in a certain way ruined. Reduced road clearance (135 mm against the standard 165 mm), a stretch between the supports of the front suspension racks was put, there are cast 16-inch wheels with five double knitting needles, low-profile rubber 195/50VR16 ... In addition, the sportsman is entitled to a special gearbox: 5 -the, like the machines of 1.3 and 1.6 liters, but the gear relations are other, imprisoned for a more aggressive driving style.


The sports station wagon walks very, very good. So frolic, assembled, tight, moderately tough. They are simply pleased to steer. True, the aggressive driving style in Finland is not welcome. The maximum that you have the right to the vicinity of the city of Yuvayskul, a stolnik per hour. And there are a lot of sites where the speed is limited to 60, 50, 40 ... This, in general, is justified, since the roads are narrow and winding, and their quality is far from everywhere corresponding to the most common ideas about the European highway, and there are many settlements. In a seriously, the Finnish traffic police did not want to violate the traffic rules in its ferocity. Discipline is not here for you to hooligate here. I was yearning for the wheel of sportswear under the yoke of countless restrictions, I all thought: where in the elite of world motorsport there are so many Finns? How do all these Hakkinen-smokers manage to grow into supergans if they are crushed by such a road discipline since childhood? Probably only out of a sense of protest ...


But back to our cars. To the reasonable question which body of the new Lancer will answer better: both are better, but the station wagon liked it more. The stylistics of versions, of course, is the general (by the way, some design elements are inherited from the original Lancer of the 73rd year and the Italian ex 78th continuity!), However, the station wagon has somehow more beautiful, more completed, and more individuality. And with the functionality of his better, the Japanese not in vain stick out in the press releases the fact that objects up to 2630 mm long climb into the car. You can on vacation with the whole family, with mother -in -law and dog ...


As we have already reported, the European premiere of the new Lancer Sedan will take place in August at the Moscow Motor Show. The station wagon will be presented in September in Frankfurt. And immediately after the presentations they will go on sale. The estimated range of machines for machines with engines 1.3 and 1.6 liters of one: $ 13.990-17.850. The basic configuration is not promised empty. Standing at a mansion of a sportsmen with a 2.0-l engine, the same will go to the market: it will appear on sale at the beginning of next year, and its price will spin somewhere in the region of twenties.
 
Sergey Sorokin
 

Source: Motor magazine [August 2003]