Poetry In Motion

Went for a look see and test drove the new Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT ( CBU )last Saturday. I must say that the performance of the car was good for its class. What more can one complain about a 2 liter MIVEC 4B11 series engine coupled to a INVECS III CVT tranny capable of delivering 155PS at 6,000 rpm. Mated to the tranny and powerplant are 18 inch rims and MacPherson struts for improved road handling capabilities.

Selling at the sub RM120k bracket ( RM115,980 OTR to be exact ), the new Lancer 2.0 GT will definitely put extra pressure on its competitors of the same segment….kudos to Mitsubishi Malaysia for showing the way and understanding the needs as well as the demands of local drivers. It is relatively cheaper as compared with other C Segment cars ( i.e. Mazda 3 ).

Nappa leather seats comes as standard in the Lancer, which makes the other cheap wannabes look…DAMN CHEAP! Nappa leather is used to make high quality leather goods such as wallets, handbags, shoes, etc and you can be assured that your arse will be pampered. The only setback for me is the seat….I feel that it’s a bit on the hard side despite the usage of high quality leather. Anyway, one cannot complain too much as the seats have in built sensors to work in tandem with the deployment of the airbags.

Stick shifties will be banging their heads because only the CVT ( 6 speed ) model is sold in Malaysia. Gear shifts can be executed via 2 pieces of titanium paddle shifters located at the steering wheel in the form of "+" for up shifting and "–" for downshifting.

With the need for speed comes the need to stop. Mitsubishi has incorporated ABS ( Anti Lock Braking System ) and EBD ( Electronic Brake Distribution ) into the new Lancer, therefore stopping under any driving conditions should not be a problem as it is well assisted by the 16 inch disc brakes.

The dash design in itself is quite simple and practical. In between the Speedo and Tacho there’s a red coloured LCD display which gives the driver information about the usage of fuel ( average ), outside/inside temperature, etc. The cabin temperature is controlled via a push button climate control unit.

The rear spoiler and Aerokit that supplies as standard has all together made the new Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT a guaranteed head turner in any of the available colours ( Cool Silver Metallic, Medium Purplish Grey Mica, Red Metallic and Black Mira ). The Lancer also comes with a 5 year or 100,000 km warranty, with free maintenance for the first 3 years or 50,000 km. A standard supply HID set would be a welcomed addition though.

Luckily for me wifey absolutely loves the car so I will presumably be making a beeline to join the ever extending queue soon ( I hope ). For those who are interested, the present lead time for the Lancer is now at 4 months tops simply because all the first batch units has been sold ( some even before the launch )….

Anybody want to join me in the queue?

2 every1 his/her OWN………………..