The 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart.
There are certain things in life that take the two parts from separate worlds and turn them into one purposeful object. One item that springs to mind is the oft-overlooked spork. A spork, for the culinary elite who are reading this, is the unholy union of a spoon and a fork. It might not sound like a good idea, but it allows you to scoop and stab without switching utensils. An engineer at Mitsubishi must use a spork during lunchtime and I believe it helped lead them to create the
2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart, a car which combines sports car fun with wagon usefulness.
The Lancer Sportback has a unique exterior style that shows off the polar attributes of its personality. The front of this car shows off the now-signature Mitsubishi front grille which is both aggressive and stylish, as well as the lightweight hood from the rip-snarling
Evo. The entire front half of the car is recognizable as a Lancer. Moving past the C-Pillar is where things move in a direction of utility. When viewed directly from the side, the rear end styling is a bit odd looking because it juts out so unexpectedly. However, when viewed from any other angle it looks pretty darn good.
The interior of the Lancer Sportback is comfortable and simply finished in black with silver accents. This particular wagon is equipped with the optional Recaro seats which increase the support for the two front passengers. This extra bolstering comes in handy when I want to toss the Sportback around on some twisty back roads. The rear seats are of the 60/40 folding variety and help increase the interior cargo volume.
The standard audio system features nine speakers and MP3 playback capability. The system is ok, but there is an optional Rockford Fosgate premium system available which ups the wattage to 710 and adds a subwoofer to round out the sound.
The Lancer Sportback is offered in two trims; the GTS and the Ralliart. The Ralliart version ups the power ante and comes standard with all-wheel drive. Under the hood is a 2.0L inline four-cylinder engine which benefits from the addition of a turbocharger. Power output is rated at 237 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. Just like in the Evo, turbo lag is noticeable but doesn’t destroy the fun. I mash the gas paddle, point the car where I want it to go and give it a second before being pushed back into the seat.
The TC-SST allows for quick changes between normal and sport modes.
The only available transmission on this Ralliart version is Mitsubishis TC-SST automatic which can be worked over manually via the shift lever in the center console, or by a pair of magnesium paddles mounted to the steering column. The transmission has two modes, a normal mode which shifts easily and a sport mode which speeds up the action. The transmission is fairly responsive in sport mode and adds to the overall driving experience when the car is pushed hard. When I want to relax, I flip the switch to put it back to normal and let the Lancer make the decisions.
The 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart is a wonderful addition to a lineup of cars who’s looks are improving every year (I am staring at you 2010 Outlander). It is nice to see a manufacturer who doesn’t shy away from the concept of a sports wagon, and to build one at a price that is within reach of a greater audience than the excellent examples offered from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. The starting MSRP of the GTS is $19,190 and this Ralliart version, seen here, starts at $27,590. This is a great price for a vehicle which features turbocharged, all-wheel drive excitement in a stylish package which is still useful on a daily basis.