The appearance of the new Mitsubishi Lancer sedan on the market instantly caused a real boom. The situation resembles the frenzy around the privatization of apartments — those wishing to purchase a version with a two-liter engine will have to wait in line for a whole year. So is it worth the candle?

In the automotive world, as everywhere else, there are patterns. If earlier buyers did not think too much about design and were interested in the very possibility of owning a foreign car, now, with such a variety of models in one class and price segment, appearance has come to the forefront.

That is why in the last issue of our magazine, the hero of the "Buyer's Choice" section preferred the Lancer, leaving behind such renowned competitors as the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. We decided to check how much the exterior matches the real content and headed to the Dmitrov test track.

Compared to its predecessor, the Lancer X stands out noticeably in traffic. Personally, it reminds me of a polar bear — one of the largest predators on the planet. Look at the elongated, slightly pointed "snout", the cold gaze of the squinted headlights, the massive black radiator grille, and the "mouth" of the air intake in the bumper.

It seems that if you slightly open the hood, the beast will immediately show its fangs, from which you can no longer escape. Click! The jaws snap shut, securely holding the next victim. At the same time, there is not a drop of clumsiness in the Lancer's appearance. The wedge-shaped silhouette adds dynamics, and the body kit on the sides and the spoiler on the trunk lid emphasize the sporty character. And the engine, it would seem, matches: two liters of displacement and 150 horsepower.

However, the sedan's acceleration to 100 km/h is not "predatory" at all — 10.2 seconds. It seems the six-speed CVT works without delays, and the mass of 1372 kg is not that large, but the dynamics leave much to be desired. But the car's steering wheel pleases with precision. Even 3.3 turns from lock to lock do not spoil the impression — no sluggishness or delays. True, during intense maneuvering, you need to be prepared for the wheel to suddenly become a bit stiff.

The somewhat stiff but well-tuned suspension perfectly dampens body roll in the slalom, and the car holds a literally "rail-like" trajectory. This was confirmed by the ISO handling test: at a speed of 126.1 km/h (124.5 km/h with full load), the sedan remains obedient even when both axles begin to slide slightly.

The Lancer also passed the "moose" test quite well, but there is one nuance: at a speed of 71 km/h, the rear wheels break into a slide so sharply that the slightest hesitation by the driver can lead to a complete spin. Therefore, sharp lane changes at high speed are better left for the race track, not for busy highways.

They say the bear is clumsy and lazy, but nature does not intend it to be so. Likewise, the Lancer in stability tests showed itself to be a true predator that simply could not survive without lightning-fast reactions. The car truly has sporty genes, and both a beginner and an experienced driver will enjoy driving it.

The brakes also do not let you down. The car is absolutely indifferent to the heating of the mechanisms: both cold and hot, the result is the same — the braking distance from 100 km/h in all ten measurements never exceeded 40 meters. Now that is real Japanese reliability.

Now about the drawbacks. The interior of the "Japanese" is typical "economy". At first glance, everything is decent: spacious, comfortable, even attractive. But upon closer inspection, you see cheap plastic and uneven gaps between panels. The weak lateral support of the seat and few adjustments are also not pleasing. And also, when you turn on the parking lights, the information from the onboard computer disappears from the screen on the central console. Are we saving electricity?

The trunk, which seems spacious, is not actually that convenient. It is located high, so loading turns into a fitness workout. And things must be compact to fit through the narrow gap between the reinforcement and the floor. And the full-size spare tire eats up part of the already modest volume.

Nevertheless, the Mitsubishi Lancer is a worthy choice. It is ideal for those who want to make an impression. And if the budget interior bothers you, you can look into a tuning studio — the car will only benefit from it.

Body
+ stylish appearance
+ spacious interior
– cheap trim materials
– small trunk

Ride comfort
+ stiff but comfortable suspension
+ comfortable seats

Powertrain
+ smooth CVT operation
– mediocre dynamics

Handling
+ excellent cornering
+ high maneuverability
+ precise steering

Safety
+ powerful brakes
+ many airbags
– ESP not available even as an option

Ecology
+ moderate fuel consumption
+ engine meets Euro 4 standards