Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart sedan and Sportback

What we liked
>> Power and torque
>> TC-SST transmission is a ripper
>> ACD is at least a match for the STI's DCCD

Not so much
>> Wind noise from mirrors
>> Seats not up to the job
>> Engine note

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
A handful of car companies can point to high-profile status in WRC rallying. Subaru has arguably the highest profile, but Citroen, Ford, Peugeot -- even Hyundai -- have all had a go over the years.

And then there's Mitsubishi.

Save for its top-dollar, low-volume Evolution models, Mitsubishi has been almost reluctant to leverage its multiple world championship wins. The good news for Mitsu fans is that's about to change -- at the expense of the evergreen road-going rally-rep, Subaru's WRX.

Subaru introduced the turbocharged all-wheel drive WRX as a permanent fixture in its Impreza range as far back as 1994, when the small car was first launched here. For all the Integra Type R or 200SX offerings in the world, there's never been a true competitor to the WRX and Subaru has made plenty of hay while the sun has shone.

Now finally, Mitsubishi has found an answer to the force-fed Subaru. Following the trail left by the new Evolution X launched to counter the STI, the all-wheel-drive 177kW Lancer Ralliart arrives to slot into the range above the Lancer VRX. Its objective -- snatch sales from the WRX.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Mitsubishi is selling the Ralliart Lancer in sedan and five-door Sportback body styles -- both priced at $42,490. While mechanicals are more Evo than cooking model Lancer (see MECHANICAL below), specifications are essentially based on the VRX trim level, with such features as climate control, electric windows/mirrors, rain-sensing wipers and auto-on/off headlights fitted as standard.

But the Ralliart's ace in the hole -- and one Subaru's WRX/STI can't match at any price (yet) -- is that the $43K sticker price includes Mitsubishi's Getrag-built twin-clutch automated manual transmission. The so-called TC-SST is the Lancer Ralliart's sole transmission option -- and it's a ripper.

As for equipment options, Mitsubishi offers a nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system ($750), or the same audio system bundled with an electric sunroof ($2350) or with the multimedia information and satnav/entertainment system in the same package ($4750).

Metallic paint is a $350 option for Black, Cool Silver, Red and Lightning Blue, with White the only solid colour in the selection.

MECHANICAL
Considerably cheaper than the Evo, the Ralliart is a parts-bin special with elements of the Evo, the VRX, older Evo models (Evo VIII, specifically) and some parts unique to this model.

Mounted transversely, the Ralliart's 4B11 turbo four-cylinder is shared with the Lancer Evo, but a single-scroll turbocharger compresses the air, as opposed to the Evo's twin-scroll unit. Peak power for the Ralliart engine is 177kW and peak torque measures 343Nm (By way of comparison the Evo produces 217kW/360Nm).

Drive from the engine is transferred to the permanent four-wheel drive system by Mitsubishi's TC-SST twin-clutch manual transmission. This box features six gears and a sequential-shift facility that can be operated either by lever or paddles. As in other similar transmissions from rival manufacturers, the TC-SST employs one clutch for first, third and fifth gears, the other clutch for second, fourth and sixth gears.

The driver can shift manually via the gearlever or paddles, or leave the transmission to fend for itself in auto mode.

While the Evo's TC-SST offers three transmission settings, the Ralliart drops 'Super Sport' and delivers 'Sport' and 'Normal'. Sport configures the transmission to hold gears and change faster, whereas Normal mode provides a more conventional set-up with the transmission compromising in the interests of passenger comfort and economy.

An 'active' centre differential (ACD) can be electronically adjusted to suit three different types of driving conditions: 'Tarmac', 'Gravel' and 'Snow'. In the Tarmac setting, the differential approaches an ideal torque split from front to rear, but directs more torque to the rear wheels in the Gravel setting, for instance. According to Mitsubishi, the ACD and other elements of the final drive system are adopted from the Lancer Evo VIII.

The Ralliart does not feature the Evolution's Active Yaw Control (AYC) and uses a simpler ESP system.

The Lancer Ralliart's 18-inch alloy wheels are shared with the front-wheel drive, naturally-aspirated Lancer VRX, but the springs and brakes are unique to the Ralliart.

Mitsubishi has specified twin-piston calipers and ventilated disc rotors for the front, solid discs at the rear. Steering is a hydraulically-assisted rack-and-pinion system and the suspension sticks with the front-wheel drive cars' MacPherson-strut front end and multi-link IRS.

PACKAGING
For the most part, the Lancer Ralliart is packaged much the same as the front-wheel drive models we've driven previously. What that means is that both head- and legroom are perfectly adequate for adults seated in the rear. In the front, the headroom was excellent, even with a sunroof fitted.

To read our Lancer launch review click here.

Mitsubishi has provided two latches to release the rear seats for flat-folding from the luggage compartment in the Ralliart Sportback, but unlike the front-wheel drive Lancer Sportback models, the Ralliart variant lacks the adjustable floor height in the luggage compartment, due to the extra drivetrain components under the floor. This has the effect of reducing luggage capacity marginally, but one presumes that typical Ralliart buyers won't be too concerned by that.

Look out for our full Sportback review for more.

SAFETY
In respect of active safety, the Lancer Ralliart does nothing by half. The following features are fitted as standard: traction control, stability control, ABS/EBD, Brake Assist, ACD (Active Centre Differential) and a limited slip differential for the rear axle.

The Ralliart also benefits from the RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body structure developed for the lesser Lancer variants and carried through to the turbo cars. In addition, the Ralliart shares the seven airbags fitted to the Lancer Evo, comprising: dual front airbags, driver's knee airbag and side-impact airbags for the front-seat occupants' thorax protection and side curtain airbags to protect the heads of front and rear-seat occupants.

As well as being at least as efficient than the five-speed manual in the WRX, it also offers both paddles and the lever for the sequential shifting. Add all that up and you start to see the extra $2500 value in the Mitsu -- particularly when you're already facing a purchase price approaching $40,000 for the Subie anyway.

As this article is written, Subaru has announced that the WRX will shortly get a shot in the arm with more power, placing it about 18kW clear of the Ralliart (but torque figure is the same). Furthermore, the WRX will also be available in both sedan and hatchback models, as it was in the past -- so the choice between the two becomes very much a matter of personal choice as much as spec checks and balances.

Looking further afield, if you don't ultimately need the Ralliart's all-wheel drive, you might consider the Ford Focus XR5, particularly as it's due to get its own version of the Ralliart's transmission. It's marginally cheaper, but also lacks the Ralliart's power and torque. Also, frankly, there's a whole cult following who prefer their pretend WRC cars to have all-wheel drive, so the Focus probably won't cut it -- even though Ford draws upon its own participation in WRC.

Similar comments apply to the Civic Type R, which is placed at an even greater disadvantage, with its very peaky engine being down on power and torque compared with Ralliart -- and it's not very much cheaper. At least, unlike the Ford (or the Ralliart and WRX for that matter), it can't be confused with cooking models in this country.

For less money -- but correspondingly less power and torque -- you might also look at the Peugeot 207 GTi and the Renault Sport Clio 197, both of which are good, fun cars to drive and do come from companies with a motor sport heritage, but probably won't appeal to conventional-thinking Ralliart/WRX buyers.

ON THE ROAD
Mitsubishi arranged a little drive around Bathurst (that's around the Bathurst area, not around the track, sadly) across a series of open, winding country roads that provided a fairly good basis for evaluating how the Ralliart will acquit itself in real life. As a benchmark of sorts, we had driven the naturally-aspirated and front-wheel drive Lancer VRX only the day before.

Unsurprisingly, the turbo engine is both powerful and sounds muscular, although it's not a particularly delightful sound. It can be caught on the hop at lower speeds, but pulls up its socks when you need it to -- with a few revs up. There's strong mid-range torque which carries through into the upper reaches of the rev range.

Indeed, it's easy to tag the rev-limiter if you're not quick on the paddles. Unlike other systems, the Ralliart's rev-limiter doesn't just hold the engine at constant revs, it forces the engine to bounce around the maximum engine speed until the driver lifts the foot -- much like older rev-limit systems.

The TC-SST transmission provides staccato gearchanges, but does without the bludgeoning effect of some such boxes. Sixth feels like a real cruising gear, with a significant step back to fifth on a downshift.

Similarly, the first three gears are all low-ratio numbers intended to complement the Ralliart's prodigious mid-range torque and willingness to rev. Other than the jump from fifth to sixth, there were no noticeable gaps in the ratios -- and nor should there be, with six speeds and a 343Nm torque peak.

Sport mode versus Normal drive mode in the Ralliart was very aggressive. Even with the TC-SST in auto mode, it would select third gear for the 50km/h urban speed limit, at which point the engine is revving at just under 3000rpm. By comparison, in normal mode at the same speed, the transmission is in fifth gear and the engine is revving much slower. That aggressiveness is what the car needs when pressing on.

In Sport mode, there was always engine braking or acceleration available and, while the handling of the Ralliart is less throttle-sensitive than the front-wheel drive and naturally-aspirated VRX, you can still tighten or open your line through a corner with judicious use of the right pedal.

The Ralliart was neutral and very easy to place on the road. On one occasion, over a crest with the suspension extended, the Ralliart was called upon to negotiate a corner immediately following the crest and it did so without fuss or any sign of nervousness.

Unlike the VRX driven the day before, there was no sense of weight transfer at the rear on a trailing throttle and nor was there the same sensitivity to the throttle with the power on in the Ralliart model. In some ways, that makes the VRX a little more fun to drive, but the Ralliart will certainly reach 'Point B' well ahead of the naturally-aspirated model.

The ride was undeniably firmer than the VRX's, but you quickly became accustomed to it and, viewed objectively, it's a decent ride for a small car with this sort of performance potential. At no stage was the car knocked offline by mid-corner bumps, contrary to expectations.

After a brief stint on gravel (during which we didn't really get the opportunity to test the Ralliart's ACD in gravel mode) we rejoined a sealed road and promptly felt the ACD directing more torque to the rear wheels on the first corner -- before the driver reset the ACD to 'Tarmac'. The distinction between those two (of three) modes was quite apparent, much like the DCCD in the Subaru WRX STI.

The third mode is 'Snow', which is going to be as generally useful in Australia as pocketed undies.

The brakes were a bit smelly after a protracted stretch of winding road, but there was no doubt about the stoppers at any point.

There were a few minor grievances with the car. Wind from the mirrors was intrusive once the car reached 100km/h, but the tyres were capable, without undue roar on any surface.

Seats felt like they had been lifted straight out of the VRX and, for a vehicle of this price, they lacked contouring and support under the thighs. Finally, in some of the twisties along the drive route, the A-pillars tended to obscure the view around tighter corners.

But when it's all added up, the Lancer Ralliart is a strong package. There's a fair dollop of the Evo's performance potential for two thirds of the price of that car. With that sort of saving, there's a lot of budget for improvement. We could see the OE exhaust system being ditched pretty quickly for something with a lot more throughput (and aural quality) and the seats might well get the flick in favour of something with much more contouring.

If nothing else, the Ralliart Lancer represents a near-perfect paint-by-numbers canvas for a customiser to complete a work of art.

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