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Back to February 2012 Motorsports News Archive
| 24-02-2012 at 11:00: ADM 2012 Mitsubishi VR Lancer Sportback Test & Review | |
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The Sportback offers quality styling of a Lancer but has extra features that you can’t get with a sedan. Sportback is Mitsubishi’s wording for a hatch and being a hatch the room inside is much greater. Looking over the Lancer Sportback you see a great shape at the front but the rear seems like they were unsure how to finish it. However, the way the rear is formed allows for a lot of rear cabin space to carry all the import things. The VR does not look that different on the outside to a base model besides the alloy wheels, but once you step inside the VR is a different world. The seats are leather and in the colder months both front seats can be warmed up to make the ride that little bit better. The seats are comfy and offer lots of support and with the driver’s seat being electric getting in the right position is easy. When sitting behind the wheel you can tell it is a Lancer as the interior does have a lot of plastic, but it is well built and everything is positioned well. One issue that was noticed is the high window line and how low the door arm rest is as there is no real place to rest you arm. The Sportback VR is loaded with features. Central locking with a remote but as it is a sensor key you can leave it in your pocket and press the button on the door handle to lock and unlock. This means no stuffing around for keys anytime and leaves your hands free for well, whatever you want. The stereo, with wheel mounted controls, offers great noise and when you get the settings to your preferred liking then the sound is great. Cruise control is located on the leather wrapped steering wheel along with the voice command Bluetooth buttons. The electric windows are smooth and fast and the rears go all the way down into the doors to allow a full open window. Another excellent feature the VR offers is a reverse camera. The view comes up in the rear view mirror and offers so much more visibility behind. On the subject of visibility, the Sportback has plenty but the B-pillars are a little hard to see around when the driver’s seat is in line with it. The automatic headlights is a great feature and when set in that mode you never have to worry about turning them on or off again. The windscreen wipers can be set at a speed of your choosing but if the deluge gets heavier then the car sensors this and speeds up to take care of the extra water. The Lancer is offered with a 2.0 litre engine and is a good match to the CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission) which is so smooth and quite that you don’t even know that you have more than one gear in the six Driveability is terrific in any situation. Although the setup seems to be based on comfort, the Lancer took everything we could throw at it. The under steer was much less than previous models and the commitment the Lancer had into the corners was great. Traction control could be switched off if desired but even driving hard the mode rarely took over. ADM Opinion The Lancer is a well built car and with the experience we have had over the years Mitsubishi does build a reliable car. The Lancer can be a little nosey with road noise but this can be blocked out by cranking your favorite tune on the stereo. Mitsubishi offer a rather good warranty with the 5-10 year deal and service parts are of decent cost. With the Sportback you get that little bit more space inside but you are definitely not showing your good side from behind…. 2012 CJ Lancer Sportbak Price Range ES Sportback Likes Dislikes
ADM gives the Mitsubishi VR Lancer Sportback 3.5 out of 5 |
Mitsubishi have been making quality reliable cars for decades and the Lancer is just one of them. Over the years the Lancer has taken on many shapes and styles and nothing stands out more than the Sportback.
speed box. The engine offers 113kW @ 6000rpm / 198Nm
@ 4250rpm and provides all the power you could want. When driving using the sports shift the engine is more responsive but you can tend to use more fuel as it is a lot sportier in this mode.
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