KEY POINTS:
Mitsubishi believes its new mid-range Lancer variants put it in a good position "for the resumption of economic growth".
Sales and marketing manager Peter Wilkins says Mitsubishi Motors NZ remains buoyant in the midst of the international credit crisis and is looking ahead to renewed vigour in the New Zealand economy once the financial dust has settled.
The company took the covers off two Lancer models on roads around Wellington 48 hours ago: the five-door hatchback and the go-fast Ralliart sedan, both with a five-star ANCAP crash rating.
"The big story is the hatchback," said Wilkins. "The small and medium car segments are dominated by hatchback sales and its arrival provides options for Lancer customers wanting greater versatility."
The hatchback is priced between $32,500 and $40,990 and is similar in specification to the sedan, launched here earlier in the year. But the five-door offers more flexible cargo space with its one-touch fold-down rear seats. A further 56 litres is also available via a drop-down floor feature in the boot.
The SX and VR hatchbacks come with a 2-litre engine producing 115kW and 201Nm. The top-range VRX gets a new engine option, a 2.4-litre unit providing 127kW and 230Nm. The 2.4-litre is also available in the sedan. Gearboxes run to a five-speed manual and six-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Mitsubishi claims town and around fuel consumption for the 2-litre sedan and hatchback models of between 7.6- 8.3 litres/100km. The 2.4-litre unit in the top-range VRX sedan and hatchback uses between 8.2 and 8.9 litres/100km, says the company.
The Lancer range comes with plenty of bells and whistles and a comprehensive list of safety equipment, including seven airbags and stability control. New are automatic windscreen wipers, headlight activation and climate control.
The Lancer Ralliart sedan is priced at $49,990 and bridges the gap between the VRX and Mitsubishi's hero car, the Evolution X.
Ralliart even looks like the Evo X, down to its jet-like front grille, aluminium bonnet lid, Recaro race-style seats, and impressive Rockford Fosgate sound system.
It comes with a similar version of the turbocharged 2-litre engine that powers Evo X. It also gets some of the top-end car's running gear, like fulltime four-wheel-drive and the optional lickety-split twin-clutch sequential gearbox.
The Ralliart engine delivers 180kW and 349Nm. The Evo X engine delivers around 217kW and 410Nm.
Mitsubishi claims fuel economy for the Ralliart of 10 litres/100km and that's using 98 octane.
