Mitsubishi plugs gap with Lancer Aspire

Mitsubishi has fulfilled its promise to deliver a well-equipped Lancer model with a larger displacement engine. That vehicle is part of the 2009 model year Lancer range currently being 'wholesaled' to dealers.

Fitted with a 2.4-litre engine, the Aspire is based on the Lancer VRX, but in a level of trim unique in the Mitsubishi world. Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (MMAL) had decided that the 2009 model year Lancer VRX would go from the 2.0-litre engine powering the entire range to a 2.4-litre engine that also powers the Outlander and hails from the same '4B' family as the 2.0-litre engine in the existing Lancer models. As a consequence, it was not so hard to gain approval from Mitsubishi in Japan for the Australia-only 'Aspire'.  The 'Aspire' name was chosen at MMAL's headquarters in Adelaide, but has Mitsubishi history behind it.

To arrive at the Lancer Aspire, Mitsubishi has taken the new-for-'09 2.4-litre Lancer VRX and removed the rear spoiler and alloy sports pedals. Then, Mitsubishi adds unique chrome highlights (grille, beltline moulding and boot garnish), blacked-out tail light bezels and HID headlights with adaptive cornering facility to distinguish the Aspire variant further.

Inside, the Aspire is fitted with woodgrain and leather trim, lidded bins for the centre console and a Rockford Fosgate six-disc CD audio system with a 10-inch subwoofer in the boot. For a limited time, Mitsubishi is offering the new car with its new information/entertainment system free of charge.

This system, the Mitsubishi Multi Communication System (MMCS), will normally be a $2400 option -- or $4000 packaged with the sunroof. It's also a new option for the Lancer VRX. MMCS provides satellite navigation, mobile phone control, iPod integration and audio system control through a large touch screen in the centre fascia. Owners can customise vehicle user functions through this system, configuring such things as the length of delay for interior light fading or the number of indicator blinks when the vehicle is locked/unlocked, for instance.

Only available in the Lancer Aspire with the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), the 2.4-litre engine is also introduced to the Lancer VRX for 2009 (but with the choice of either manual or CVT in that model) and develops 125kW of power at 6000rpm and 226Nm of torque at 4100rpm. Fuel consumption, based on the ADR81/01 city cycle standard is 8.5L/100km.

The exterior colour selection for the Lancer Aspire is more limited than for the rest of the Lancer Range. Mitsubishi has chosen not to offer Lightning Blue and Mystic Blue in the Lancer Aspire, restricting the new variant's colour palette to: Cool Silver, Effect Grey, Red Metallic, White Solid, Black Mica and Champagne.

MMAL has introduced this car to conquest buyers from the medium car segment. With buyers fleeing that segment and large cars, there's a real opportunity opening up in the small car segment for high-specced models that are priced around the same as a more prosaic medium car, but are cheaper to run. As a bonus, the Lancer Aspire offers a better power-to-weight ratio than Ford Mondeo Zetec, Honda Accord Euro, Mazda6 and Toyota Camry.

Priced at $33,990, the Lancer Aspire compares favourably with similarly priced variants of those cars in every way, barring physical size. Even so, according to Mitsubishi, the Lancer currently approaches the dimensions of the first generation (TM model) Magna and is within 50 to 60mm of the 1985 car in any given dimension, so it's a small car in name only.

Indeed, Mitsubishi's market research indicates that the typical new-car buyers likely to opt for the Lancer Aspire are aged within a range from 45 to 60 years of age and are not ultimately concerned that the Lancer Aspire is significantly smaller than the mid-size cars.

There is reason to believe, based on Mitsubishi's existing client base for the Lancer, that buyers are already being seduced out of larger cars -- and the Aspire, if it establishes itself, provides another mini-Verada model to take advantage of that 'leakage' from the medium and large car segments. However, Mitsubishi is careful to describe the Lancer Aspire as a 'premium small car', not a luxury car. Fitted with the 18-inch alloys from the Lancer VRX and that car's suspension settings, it's not likely to ride gently enough to warrant a 'luxury' tag.

The Lancer Aspire will only be available in sedan form, as Mitsubishi considers the buyer demographic for the car will tend to be more conservative. Already, it's apparent that the buyers for the Lancer sedan are distinctly different from the sort of buyers Mitsubishi hopes to attract with the Lancer Sportback, due here within coming months.

At this stage, Mitsubishi will not market the Lancer Aspire separately from the other vehicles in the Lancer range, although it sounds like the idea is up for discussion within the inner sanctum at MMAL.

"We've had a lot of discussion on that, whether it's little 'Lancer', big 'Aspire'... that sort of thing," says MMAL's Manager of Product Strategy for Passenger Vehicles, Chris Maxted, leaving the question hanging.

We also asked whether there's room for a Lancer Aspire with all-wheel drive and turbocharged engine, based on the soon-to-be-released Lancer Ralliart.

"Ralliart's a different kettle of fish," says Maxted.

"It's not really in the personality of that car. Ralliart [the car] lives in its own price, in its own band. Just as VRX is our sporty [Lancer], this is our more prestigious personality. Ralliart is more in that bridge between VRX and Evo type territory."

But while we can appreciate MMAL wouldn't necessarily want to dilute the Ralliart brand with luxury/performance models, there's still a chance that buyers might want a Lancer Aspire more in the mould of a Falcon G6E Turbo or a Calais V.

"A high-performance Aspire?" asks Maxted. "Nothing is impossible. We could do it, but we've got to see where we're going... whether that's needed, I'm not sure. It's almost like HSV territory."

The Lancer Aspire is the most prominent change to the Lancer range for 2009, but the entire range has undergone revision. Mitsubishi has expanded the range from the three distinct variants at the start of the year to 10 variants with this new model year upgrade.

In addition to the migration from 2.0 to 2.4-litre engine for the VRX already mentioned, all models gain audio input jacks and improved sound insulation for the new model year. Manual variants are more economical than before, through revised gear ratios for 4th and 5th gears. The Lancer VRX gains a premium centre console and the interior of the entry-level Lancer ES is upgraded with chrome highlights for such features as the handbrake and air vents.

Mitsubishi has raised prices for all Lancer models, other than the Lancer ES manual, which remains priced at $20,990. The Lancer ES with CVT has risen $200 to $23,490. Priced at $25,590, the VR manual has increased in price by $300, whereas the CVT version has gone up $500, to $28,090. Both manual and CVT variants of the Lancer VRX have risen by $800, the manual now priced at $29,790 and the CVT now $32,290.

The Lancer Aspire will be available in Mitsubishi showrooms from September 22.

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