Car Review - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Mx Features & Specifications
Compact Driver's Seat Mitsubishi Lancer EX
2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Mx - When a promised gift arrives afterwards than it should, it tin live frustrating too exciting at the same time. The same sense of anxious anticipation pervaded our hold off for the 2003 Lancer. This was non helped past times the sight of gray-market Evo VIIs burbling unopen to Manila. The Lancer's rivals had for certain advanced the 1.6 liter game, and, skilful or bad, nosotros wanted to know how the Lancer would stand upwards up to the challenge. As the New Year's Day rolled in, Mitsubishi Motors eventually delivered.
What a packet it is. We would unremarkably tear upwards the wrapper to larn to the skilful parts but inwards this case, the roofing itself warrants a skilful bargain of attention. Angular lines define the Lancer's novel countenance. A large honeycomb grille is flanked past times large clusters containing 4 lamps. That grille is immediately integrated into the hood, too bulges too a centre crease catamenia rearward, a render to the muscular styling that we've sorely missed since the Lancer GTi. The bumper houses a yoke of touchstone fog lamps.
You won't fault that forepart for an Evo, but squint at the parent too you'll encounter the solid unit of measurement resemblance. The taillights are clear-and-red trapezoids, amongst a pronounced ridge that continues into the trunk. A “bee-sting” antenna pops jauntily upwards from the parent part of the roof. The sail metal, plastics too judicious purpose of chrome combine for a tidy, handsome appearance.
Immediately noticeable is the lengthened wheelbase. Thanks to the 100 mm stretch, the Lancer's proportions await to a greater extent than similar an E-class' than an Altis.' Overall length too acme stimulate got too grown—the Lancer immediately checks inwards at 4500 mm overall length, 1695 mm width too 1445 mm height. It's all the same a nudge smaller than the Altis inwards all 3 dimensions.
The increased dimensions pay off inwards the greater leg too hip room for both forepart too parent passengers. The parent topographic point offers adequate back upwards inwards add-on to generous legroom, fifty-fifty if a tall guy sits inwards front. Width is spacious for ii adults, a slight crush for three. There's all the same a centre tunnel, though it's non real obtrusive. The Lancer sticks to a boxy profile, which optimizes cabin room too eases ingress too egress.
The cabin has a bright, airy feel, thank yous to a large greenhouse too light-colored materials. There's a skilful sentiment out front, though the hood all the same tapers away out of sight. The texture of the soft-touch plastics are kickoff charge per unit of measurement too the leather is suitably supple. The woods trim back on the gearshift environment all the same looks dubious, but the strips on the dashboard too doors add together a welcome touching of warmth too trend to the cabin.
Mitsubishi has returned to the ergonomic forefront, amongst a neat, symmetrical layout, straightforward gauges, too well-placed rotary aircon controls. The centre dash has been pushed up, to gratuitous upwards additional kneeroom. Map lamps, adjustable armrest too a compartment for your shades stimulate got all been provided.
For “mobile” addicts, the Lancer has a built-in hands-free vociferation system, amongst a microphone on top of the steering column. Stereo systems stimulate got lately been a game of can-you-top-this, thus the Lancer of class has a pop-up 165-mm VCD concealment that, when non inwards use, folds neatly into the dashboard. Where nosotros intend it should stay, for safety's sake.
So much for the wrapper—now for the catch of the matter. The SOHC, 16-valve engine powers all variants of the Lancer lineup. On newspaper it seems tepid, amongst solely 110 bhp at 6200 too 138 Nm at 4200. During our drive, nosotros flora the engine was torquey, amongst skilful grunt off the line. Mid-range acceleration was too adequate, fifty-fifty amongst 4 adults on board.
The slice de resistance of this machine is its unique automatic, the country's kickoff Continuously Variable Transmission. This gearbox truly does without the gears of varying sizes that alteration the campaign ratio inwards a conventional automatic. Instead, it uses a steel belt wrapped unopen to a yoke of pulleys. The belt slides upwards too downward the cone-shaped pulleys, altering the ratios infinitely.
We clicked the lever into D, too flora that the CVT operates smoothly too transparently. Take off from standstill is quick too sprightly. Most modern automatics stimulate got dampened shift daze to beingness nearly imperceptible. The CVT does it better: shift daze is altogether absent, thank yous to the absence of gears. A novel experience is seeing the tach needle rest fixed at a sure rpm, spell the machine steadily accelerates. An fifty-fifty stranger sensation is seeing the speedometer needle spin clockwise equally the engine speed dips.
While inwards D, slide the lever left too yous locomote inwards the Sportshift mode; this provides for 6 fixed ratios—a virtual six-speed automatic. There's trivial hollo for inwards the manual during ordinary metropolis driving, but it tin plough a lonely campaign on the highway into a game of Gran Turismo—at to the lowest degree where the shifting is concerned. A PRND indicator runs along the speedo, amongst a pocket-sized LCD display for the virtual ratios.
One disappointing aspect is the Lancer's stopping gear. The forepart discs too parent drums are for certain adequate for normal situations, but its rivals are already sporting discs on all 4 corners. ABS is conspicuously absent from the Lancer equipment list, fifty-fifty on the top business MX. With Manila's streets commonly infested amongst haphazard structure sites, buses, tricycles, jeepneys, potholes too all sorts of other hazards, having ABS is equally imperative equally a skilful insurance policy. We usually discovery it useful inwards a truthful emergency virtually 1 time a year. On the passive security checklist are dual SRS airbags, side send upon beams, too anti-whiplash forepart seats.
We weren’t able to accept this machine onto our customary flyover treatment course, thus nosotros can’t state much virtually its high-speed handling. At depression speeds, it absorbs mild bumps too potholes without much fuss. The touchstone tires, 195/55 R 15, are on the sporty side for this degree of car.
We realize that this is an era of globalization, but if counts for anything, the Lancer isn’t assembled here: it’s 100% made inwards Thailand.
The Lancer is a machine that feels skilful to live in, too pleasant to drive. Except for ABS, its features are nearly complete, too pricing is competitive. If this machine had been unveiled ii years ago, when the Corolla all the same looked similar a sardine tin on wheels, it would stimulate got flattened the opposition. Here too now, it offers the sleekest interior inwards the 1.6 class, too a competent, refined driving package.
