Mitsubishi Sportback Ralliart

[b_tapper]

Mitsubishi told us way back in June that it would debut the five-door Lancer Sportback and Sportback Ralliart at the Paris Motor Show in October. They were close, as images of the two models have surfaced on the web today just a week before the big show in Paris. The new Sportback model adds all the versatility of Subaru's similarly shaped 5-door Impreza models, which should be a big hit in Europe where they'll go on sale first. The base Lancer Sportback models will come with your choice of a 1.5L or 1.8L four-cylinder or 2.0L turbodiesel, and the Sportback Ralliart that serves up a side of practicality with your main course of performance, will be powered by a 2.0L MIVEC turbocharged four-cylinder making 237 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque. It will also come with Mitsubishi's new Twin-Clutch SST transmission, an Active Center Differential and all the go-fast goodies found on the sedan version. The Lancer Sportback should hit European showrooms this fall, and we're cautiously certain it will end on sale in the U.S. as well where Suburu already offers the Impreza in both sedan and five-door hatchback versions.

I so hope Mitsu is smart and brings this to the US. Sucks Subaru couldn't make their new 5 door look as good as this.

[luvcars]

Its a nice car, though I've had that 2nd image on my Ipod for months now as it was posted at Top Gear

[Vette Boss]

Really is a much cooler alternative for a small family. A car you and your children won't be ashamed of. Quite good fun for dad, as well, thanks to the clever gearbox and turbocharged engine.

[Pedrocas]

From behind, looks like a Ford Focus. Overall, the car's design looks heavy. Don't know if like.

[prizrak]

As far as 5 doors go, it looks pretty good. Definetly more interesting than the WRX, Subaru must have gotten all the drop outs from design schools for their car design.

[JakeRadden]

ew.

I just... don't like it. Doesn't look proportioned correctly.
Much prefer the WRX.

[pfrocker]

It's pretty good, but I prefer the saloon (sedan for us Americans) better.

[NooDle]

ugly ass is ugly

no thanks

[Danny Tran]

Originally Posted by Pedrocas

From behind, looks like a Ford Focus. Overall, the car's design looks heavy. Don't know if like.

Agreed- a new Scirocco for instance seems like being of a very similar inspiration but with smoother and more digestable lines.

I'll have a Scirocco thanks! Hope it comes in 4WD soon!

[Ramseus]

Lazy redesign is lazy. Fat ass is fat.

"lol lets just stretch out the C pillar so there's no rear deck."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea! Uhh... maybe we could shorten it by 0.01cm just so that it looks like we actually did something?"
"Good idea!"

Still better than the old lol verticle rear window lancer wagons though.


I'll take the sedan please. (just gotsta save up a few pennies first)



edit: Look, look, look, I has a proof that all they did is stretch the C pillar!



sorry, I couldn't help but orangize it, even if it looks a bit crap (bite me, white cars = virtually no highlight reflections)

same thing but without mucking about with colours

[AiR]

Someone forgot to tell Mitsubishi about flatblade wipers.

[BlitzR]

Too much rear over hang for a shape like that, and the rear doesn't work with the front end.
Could look better with a similar rear to this:

[Spazatao]

^That's one hell of a station wagon. Dare I say, more interesting than the sedan.

[BlaRo]

Originally Posted by Ramseus

Lazy redesign is lazy. Fat ass is fat.

"lol lets just stretch out the C pillar so there's no rear deck."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea! Uhh... maybe we could shorten it by 0.01cm just so that it looks like we actually did something?"
"Good idea!"

Err...it's the wagon version of a sedan. What did you expect? A clean-sheet redesign?

[Lupin_IV]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

Err...it's the wagon version of a sedan. What did you expect? A clean-sheet redesign?

This is a properly built wagon version of a sedan, notice how they stretched the original roof line?


For comparison:

[Disciple]

It's not a wagon! It's a sportback.

[JakeRadden]

Originally Posted by Disciple

It's not a wagon! It's a sportback.

Meaning what?

Mitsubishi Slightly-Stretched-C-Pillar Ralliart?

[NecroJoe]

No, it means that it's NOT A STATION WAGON!

It's sort of a "I want a hatch-back door for the utility and accessibility to the cargo area, but I don't want a box-backed Volvo-lookin' station wagon/hatchback" thing goin' on.

I'm not saying that I like this particular execution, but I am saying that I can understand the appeal. My car is a hatchback...but it's also got a rear deck! THAT seems odd to me, but it works. I've got a coupe, but I can get a tall 4-drawer file cabinet in the car, in the box, with all doors closed. I used to have a sedan with a huge trunk, but the opening was so small, I couldn't even get a 16x16x16 box into the trunk. I'd have to do some sort of ship-in-a-bottle thing (flatten the box, insert it, then expand it inside the trunk). With a hatchback, I can get large things in.




This particular Mitsubish, however, looks like a cross between the Scirocco (which I like better, but this is a 4-door) and the Chevy Malibu Maxx (which was a horrifically ugly car). I'd rather have a Mazda 3. Practical, and sporty-enough.

[klankymen]

Originally Posted by JakeRadden

Meaning what?

Mitsubishi Slightly-Stretched-C-Pillar Ralliart?

It means it has a fifth door. If that's all that's necesary, why do anything else? If you wanted to add a back door to your house, you wouldn't change the location of the back wall.

[NecroJoe]

Originally Posted by klankymen

It means it has a fifth door. If that's all that's necesary, why do anything else? If you wanted to add a back door to your house, you wouldn't change the location of the back wall.

I love that analogy.