In Europe, the Sport Hatch Rules
By Alistair Weaver
The European obsession with sport hatches stretches back at least 30 years to the original Volkswagen Golf GTi. The hot hatchback (as it's known in the U.K.) is the everyman supercar, the stuff of adolescent fantasy. The sedan is the preserve of the elderly and infirm, and it's no wonder that four-door saloons account for less than 30 percent of the U.K. market.
Even Mitsubishi itself describes the new 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart as "the most European Mitsubishi." It's a direct rival to both the latest Golf GTI and, most significantly, the Subaru Impreza WRX. It goes on sale in Europe this fall and while there's nothing confirmed, rumors persist that it might land on the shores of America.
A Mental Leap
We've become so used to seeing the distinctive silhouette of the Lancer sedan that at first glance the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart seems odd, as if Mitsubishi had bolted together two different cars. But step back, consider it again and you'll appreciate that this is actually a homogeneous, well-executed design.
It has been styled in Mitsubishi's European Design Center, and the production reality closely mimics the Concept-Sportback of 2005. At 180.5 inches overall, it's actually 0.6 inch longer than the Ralliart sedan, yet the subjective impression is different. The Sportback's angular rear end and the shallow rake of the rear window make this car appear shorter than it really is.
Europeans brought up on a diet of the Ford Focus three-door, Golf GTI four-door and Opel Astra will find the Sportback's proportions instantly familiar, although this car maintains its Lancer identity. In particular, the front end with its multifarious array of slats and gills is self-consciously aggressive and very Japanese.
And not for nothing is the Ralliart being billed in Europe as a junior Evo, a stepping stone to the real deal of rally-bred hardware. Mitsubishi U.K. is so concerned about the Ralliart pinching sales off the more lucrative Evo that it won't even be importing the Ralliart sedan, just in case. The inference is clear: If you wanted to live the Evo dream, you should pay for it.
The Inside Story
There's not much to report inside the cabin. Forward of the C-pillar the Sportback is unchanged, so you get the same functional but appealing cabin of the sedan. Our only major criticism would be the absence of sports chairs on our test car, as the leather seats look nice but offer about as much support as a vest top on a bouncy castle.
Europeans tend to favor a hatchback configuration for its all-purpose recreation- and family-rated versatility, and indeed the Sportback is more versatile than the sedan equivalent. Although the angular tailgate robs some trunk room — the trunk capacity of 12.1 cubic feet is no better than average for this class — it can be extended to 49.2 cubic feet once you adjust the split/folding rear seats.
The Oily Bits
The Ralliart's power plant gives this car its Evo Lite identity. This all-aluminum 1,998cc DOHC inline-4 engine resembles the Evo unit with the exception of a smaller, single-scroll turbo in place of a twin-scroll unit. Tractable power is the idea here, and so the power falls from the Evo's highly stressed 291 horsepower to 237 hp at 6,000 rpm, while the torque output declines from 300 pound-feet to 250 lb-ft (though it's all on call between 2,500 and 4,000 rpm).
These power figures aren't coincidental. They place the Ralliart above the Subaru Impreza WRX (224 hp and 226 lb-ft) and European rivals such as the VW Golf GTI Edition 30 (226 hp and 221 lb-ft). Of course, the Sportback also weighs 44 pounds more than the Lancer sedan, which is itself a couple of hundred pounds heavier than the Scooby hatch. This could help explain the modest 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint of 7.1 seconds that is claimed for the Sportback, although the standard dual-clutch transmission might also play a part by discouraging banzai takeoffs. (In comparison, we recently managed to get the Ralliart sedan to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds.)
The sounds and sensations of this engine could only be linked to a turbocharged inline-4 from Japan. It has that highly stressed tone that suggests it's trying hard, even at a standstill. Not surprisingly, the brutal urgency of the Evo's 291-hp engine is missing and you find yourself using full throttle. Maybe it's a bit too much Evo Lite for our tastes.
But the reduction in peak output is much easier to take thanks to Mitsubishi's excellent Twin-Clutch Sequential Sportshift Transmission (TC-SST). This unit is shared with the Evo (although it doesn't have that car's launch control) and it works with impressive smoothness. You can choose between standard Drive and Sport automated shift schedules or the Manual mode that lets you use the shift paddles on the steering wheel. Sport mode lets the revs climb right up to the redline and also shifts down like an overexcited adolescent at the first sign of lifting the throttle, which can become tiresome. If you're pushing on, it's much more satisfying to use the paddles.
Hotting in the Hatch
Let's not get carried away here. The driving experience of the Ralliart is more hot hatch than genuine Evo. Although it has an active center differential, the Ralliart lacks the active yaw control that contributes so much to the Evo's fail-safe experience at speed. You can still carry big speed, but it takes some manly driving skills to get the most from it.
The Ralliart understeers more than its big brother, a characteristic amplified by the 60 percent front/40 percent rear weight distribution balance plus a softer suspension setup that serves up more body roll than you might expect. This Sportback Ralliart car is happiest in long, sweeping curves where it can take a set; tight, twisty hairpins are best left to the hard-bitten Evo.
The Ralliart Sportback's high-speed composure, though, is excellent. It also rides exceptionally well, at least on the Spanish roads of our test route. On bumpy asphalt you benefit from the softer damping, which makes the car less skittish. The steering is as nicely weighted and as positive as you'd expect — if not quite as sharp as that of an Evo — and the brakes proved reassuringly fade-free after an hour's hard driving on the route of the Catalunya WRC rally.
The refinement's good, too, save for an irritating transmission drone at highway speeds. The Ralliart Sportback is even more of an everyday car than the Evo, although you have to get used to the smell of a gas station, as we managed to empty a tank in only 150 miles of driving.
Hot Hatch or Evo Lite?
Anyone looking at the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart as a cut-price entry into the world of the Evo might be a tad disappointed. If you really want an extreme experience, you're best served by a used Evo for similar money.
But for those who want a fast, capable real-world car with a dose of Evo-ness, the Ralliart has much to offer. Whether you prefer the Sportback or the sedan will come down to personal tastes. The sedan looks more like a real Evo, but the Sportback is more versatile and that bit different. Let's hope U.S. buyers are offered the choice.
