CYPRESS, CA – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has announced pricing for its new 2009 Lancer Ralliart All-Wheel Drive, turbocharged sedan. The new Lancer Ralliart reinforces the sporty identity of the Lancer vehicle lineup with aggressive styling and driving performance, offering a unique balance between the Lancer 2.4 GTS and the Lancer Evolution models. The Lancer Ralliart features a modified version of the Lancer Evolution 4B11 turbocharged intercooled 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC engine, producing 237-horsepower, and is teamed exclusively with Mitsubishi’s advanced Twin Clutch-Sportronic¨ Shift Transmission (TC-SST). The 2009 Lancer Ralliart will start at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $26,490.00.

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Mitsubishi knows the name Ralliart isn’t spoken with much reverence among American gasoline punks. That should change. Mitsubishi has watched Subaru ring up healthy sales with the mid-grade WRX, which neatly slots between the 87-octane Impreza and the high-test STI.

Now the Lancer Ralliart is being sent in to bridge the same wide chasm separating the $18,915, 168-hp Lancer GTS from the $33,615, 291-hp Evolution GSR. This time it’s not just a paint-and-trim poseur. Lancer Ralliart retail prices should start at $27,000, which buys a 237-hp turbo 2.0-liter, all-wheel drive, and a twin-clutch automated manual six-speed, the only transmission available.

It trucks to 60 mph in a spirited 5.5 seconds, quicker by 0.3 than our last WRX wagon. The Ralliart also carves a road pleasantly with well-weighted steering, stout brakes, and a paddle-shifted transmission with quick, snag-free gear changes. The Ralliart’s main limitations are body roll, a trade-off for tolerable ride, and overwhelmed 215/45 Yokohama rubber mounted on 18-inch rims. They squeal early and often, and the grip too quickly melts into understeer. Note the unspectacular 0.80-g skidpad performance and 184-foot stopping distance. Read more »

Mitsubishi finally unveils the five-door version of its winsome Lancer.

The concept of positive reinforcement—when at first you succeed, do it some more—is not lost on Mitsubishi Motors. Hence, the company is poised to unveil a five-door variant of its handsome and successful entry-level model, the Lancer, to be called the Lancer Sportback, at the 2008 Paris auto show this fall. To help pass the time until September, Mitsubishi has released some advanced information and photos, which we in turn pass on to you.

If this looks familiar, it’s because the very first new-gen Lancer concept car, at the 2005 Frankfurt auto show, was a sexy slantback. And, more recently, at the 2008 Geneva auto show in March, the Sportback was previewed in the form of the Prototype S concept. Read more »