The Mitsubishi Lancer became a bestseller on the Russian market right after its debut in 2003. The model's success was confirmed by its victory in the "Car of the Year" competition, which was held with the participation of our publication. When the three-year life cycle came to an end, it was decided to give the car a light restyling.
2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
It is immediately obvious that the Mitsubishi designers acted like experienced doctors - they tried not to harm a successful model. Therefore, the car's appearance changed very little, and the previous stylistic moves remained in place.
This was confirmed as soon as we saw the test car. In the parking lot, two dark blue Lancers stood like twins. We get closer - still no differences. The saying "morning is wiser than evening" came to the rescue. After ten minutes of inspection, the tester's attentive gaze still noticed something new on the sun-drenched 2006 model year car. We are talking about the radiator grille, the pattern of which changed from lines to diamonds. Brilliant! Further inspection, almost with a magnifying glass, allowed us to see the updated front bumper - it lost its sharp edges and acquired an additional air intake line. That's all the changes.
2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
We move into the cabin. The interior has changed slightly. As before, the original "floating" black front panel looks stylish. You get the feeling that you are in a car of a higher class. Thanks to well-thought-out, albeit completely standard, adjustments, a driver of any height can sit comfortably behind the wheel. The upholstery of the doors and panel is pleasant to the touch, the plastic is soft. Aluminum-look inserts have appeared, emphasizing the overall design. The seat color has changed from gray to black. But the steering wheel remains the same - thin. And that's a pity: many motorists would prefer a thicker steering wheel.
On the move, the steering wheel clearly transmits effort as speed increases. The gearbox paired with the 1.6-liter engine allows you to confidently overtake city traffic. There is no need to rev the engine especially. The car calmly maintains a dynamic driving rhythm in the range of 3000-4000 rpm.
Shifting gears is a real pleasure. Gears engage clearly and without jerks. The only drawback: the gearbox does not allow starting in a higher gear, for example, in a traffic jam. The engine begins to "choke", and the car accelerates reluctantly.
Special attention deserves the suspension. It is tuned for maximum comfort. Even on a badly broken road, there was not a single breakdown. Large bumps are handled without complaints, and the cabin remains quiet. Despite the comfortable tuning, the car is devoid of excessive roll and longitudinal pitching.
2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
The updated Lancer, like the previous version, can boast a very spacious cabin that easily accommodates five people. You can increase the volume of the already large trunk by folding the rear row of seats.
The main differences of the new product are hidden inside. First of all, new options and trim levels have appeared. In addition to Invite, Instyle and Intense, the Invite+ version with richer equipment is now available. And the most powerful was the Intense trim, in which the car receives a 2-liter engine with 136 hp. The body is equipped with plastic elements of the sports body kit - lower bumper skirts, sills, a trunk lid spoiler. Interestingly, the instrument panel and pedal pads were borrowed from the Lancer Evolution VIII.
For 2006 model year cars, a new color Mint silver - silver-green metallic - was invented. With the advent of the modernized car, prices remained at the same level. You can buy the cheapest Lancer in the 1.3 Invite trim for $14,490.
Technical characteristics of Mitsubishi Lancer
• Body - sedan;
• number of seats - 5;
• curb weight, kg - 1185;
• gross weight, kg - 1750;
• dimensions (length/width/height), mm: - 4480/1695/1446;
• wheelbase, mm - 2600;
• trunk volume, l - 590;
• max speed, km/h - 183;
• fuel consumption, l/100 km: city cycle - 8.8; suburban - 5.5;
• fuel tank volume, l - 50;
• engine - petrol. SOHC, 16-valve; displacement, cm3 - 1584; power, hp at rpm - 98/5000; torque, Nm at rpm - 150/4000;
• transmission - manual;
• tire size - 195/60R15;
• brakes (front/rear) - disc, ventilated/disc;
• suspension (front/rear) - McPherson with anti-roll bar/multi-link, independent, with passive rear steering effect
• steering - with power steering;
• price, $ - 16,890.