Imagine this: you’re driving along the open road. In your rear vision mirror, you spot a car barrelling up behind you. Next thing you know, you’ve got a good view of twin headlights, a pair of low fog lights astride a chrome-trimmed nose and… is that an air vent in the bonnet? You don’t have long to look, because next thing you know, this side-skirted sports car is gliding beside you and soon all you see is the twin chrome exhausts, a rear spoiler and – if you have time to glimpse it – that telltale Ralliart badge.

This is many people’s first glimpse of the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. Blink and you’ll miss it.

The latest Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart comes in two body styles: the Sportback, which is, as you guessed, a five-door hatchback, and the sedan version. Originally bred for the tough world of rallying, the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart offers everyday drivers who want a bit of passion and pizzazz in their wheels a fast, safe and enjoyable drive.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is a performance car, all right. At 6000 revs, it’s got 177 kW of power to play around with, and at 4750 revs, it’s got 343 Nm of torque. This is pumped out by the 2.0 litre DOHC MIVEC intercooled and turbocharged unit, which has been designed to produce maximum get up and go for a minimum of weight – which translates as efficiency. Mitsubishi makes playing with the amount of power the Lancer Ralliart puts out even more fun with the TC-SST transmission (which stands for Twin Clutch Sports Shift Transmission), which is super-responsive in either Normal or Sports mode thanks to the double input gear shafts, where first, third and fifth gear are housed on one shaft (plus reverse gear) and the even numbered gears (2nd, 4th and 6th) are on the other. You won’t see this – all you’ll see is the leather-covered gear lever knob.

Independent sports tuned suspension in the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart smoothes out the bumps while providing the feedback necessary to select the right ACD mode. ACD? This stands for Active Centre Differential, which ensures the right torque split between the front and back axles, and can be set in three modes, depending on the road surface: tarmac, gravel and snow. This is just one feature that makes the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart super-safe on the roads, no matter what the conditions are: just another feature that was originally developed for the rallying circuit.

Other safety features of the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart include Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) bodyshell system found in more than just the Lancer and the Ralliart-badged lineup. This tough shell is designed to shield the occupants (all 5 of them in either the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback or the sedan) in a secure capsule while the crumple zones absorb the impact of a collision. The Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart also has up to seven SRS airbags, including a driver’s knee bag, Active Stability Control, Active Traction Control, brake assist, EBD and ABS braking.

But all going well, you will never need to see how these safety features in the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart protect you. The cabin comforts of the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart’s interior are more what you’re interested in on a day to day driving basis, along with the performance. Things like the Bluetooth connectivity, the steering-wheel mounted audio controls (and the MP3 input jack), the LCD multi-information display panel in the dash, the Smartkey that allows you to start the engine from a distance, the power windows and – as you would expect with the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart’s TC-SST transmission, paddle shifters for the gears. And don’t forget the cruise control, the rear window demister, the dusk sensing headlamps, the rain sensing wipers, the climate control with the pollen filter and the touches of chrome trim.

The current model series includes the:

• Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sedan
• Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback

For any more information on the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Mitsubishi dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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