The Mitsubishi Lancer is Mitsubishi's entry into the compact car segment and a stalwart of the company's lineup. While the Lancer name didn't make it to America until the 2002 model year, the name has been part of Mitsubishi's portfolio dating back to the early 1970s. In fact, several cars sold by Mitsubishi's partners in America during the 1970s (before Mitsubishi began selling cars here under its own name in 1982) were actually Lancers in disguise. And, of course, the Mitsubishi Lancer is the base upon which the awe-inspiring Evolution models are erected.
While early Japanese-market Mitsubishi Lancers were built with rear-wheel drive, since 1982 the Lancer has been a front-driver with a few models featuring all-wheel drive. From an engineering standpoint, the Lancer has always been strictly conventional. That means straightforward unibody structure, transverse-mounted four-cylinder engines and a MacPherson strut front suspension backed by an uncomplicated rear suspension. The Mitsubishi Lancer, at least in its basic versions, has always been a modest car.
The Mitsubishi Lancers sold in North America have been either four-door sedans or five-door wagons. The first North American Lancer could hardly have been boxier; the cabin was strictly upright, the fenders seemed styled with a cleaver and the grille had all the flourishes and ruffles of a Ronco product. But somehow this lack of style was endearing; the Mitsubishi Lancer was a car for people who wanted a car that said virtually nothing about them.
That isn't to say that the Mitsubishi Lancer was a car without some performance pretensions — even in non-Evolution form. A Lancer Ralliart package, for example, was offered for the 2004 model year that featured an oversize, more powerful four-cylinder engine, a stiffer suspension and slightly lowered ride height. The Mitsubishi Lancer may not be flamboyant, but a Lancer Ralliart can be a very satisfying car to drive.
For 2008 the Mitsubishi Lancer sedan was redesigned with a more distinctive and muscular style that included a nose that looked like it was ripped off an F-100 Super Sabre jet. A new continuously variable transmission (CVT) was a major feature with some Mitsubishi Lancer models.
