The Price is Right

MANILA, Philippines - At first glance, the Lancer Ralliart looks pretty much like the typical Lancer EX it’s based on. In fact, while the Lancer Evolution takes the path of being a sophisticated, no-holds-barred flagship that offers track-honed features and the capability of outperforming more expensive sports cars, the Lancer Ralliart feels more like a well-done tuner car – a reincarnation perhaps of the original Evolution.

Outside, the Ralliart’s dressed and designed certainly for the younger set with its go-fast look complete with the high-style rear wing and aggressive bodywork shared with the run-of-the-mill EX. Upon closer inspection though, you know the Ralliart’s especial with that light-weight aluminum hood with integral duct work (to keep the turbo cool) as well as dual exhausts shooting out from the back.

Inside, the Ralliart shares a lot in common with the EX which basically means it betrays its compact car origins. However, the upholstery, accents, trims and even the steering wheel have been upgraded. Overall, the cabin works quite well and the operation is pretty straight-forward. The instrumentation is absolutely excellent with its full-color display panel and large, readable numerals. The seats are mighty comfy and offer a good range of adjustments.

The Ralliart might look like the EX, but it’s definitely pumped with steroids. The driving experience may not be as aggressive and hard as the Evolution, but there’s still a lot to love in the driving department. Packed with a 2.0-liter engine good for 240 PS, the Ralliart is actually well-suited to everyday traffic with excellent low and mid-rev punch. And at full throttle, the Ralliart can still scare the driver and passengers alike. Mated to the engine is a six-speed dual clutch automatic termed Twin Clutch-SST. The automated gearbox is a little hesitant to shift during gentle driving, but it pulls off snappy shifts during hard acceleration.

Like its Evolution big brother, the Ralliart comes with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system which Mitsubishi calls Super All-Wheel Control. Together with an Active Center Differential and Active Yaw Control, it enables this car to transmit the power smoothly to all four wheels, even when the driver isn’t using finesse or the conditions aren’t ideal. In fact, this drivetrain alone is enough to give the Ralliart tremendous agility, tractability and poise to rival much more expensive machinery.

While the Evolution shares almost nothing in common with its lesser brethren, the Ralliart still offers some but not all of the powertrain components from the Evo, in a body structure that’s essentially the same as that of the sporty Lancer EX. With that in mind, the Ralliart isn’t as precise and unyielding as the Evolution, but it makes it all the more suited to everyday driving – especially on bumpy roads. It can still feel harsh under certain circumstances, but it’s not a deal breaker. The steering remains sharp and the stout brakes deliver all the braking force the tires can handle.

The Mitsubishi Lancer EX Ralliart comes surprisingly equipped than their racy, tuner-car look and feel might suggest. Along with the Fast Key system, the Ralliart comes with HID headlamps, a trip computer, automatic climate control, racy bucket seats, aluminum pedals and a 9-speaker Rockford Fosgate system. But these extras don’t come cheap: at P2,348,000 (P2,350,000 for the Limited), the Ralliart has already treaded into Subaru Impreza WRX STi territory. And though you have to rock the gears yourself in the STi (if you want a sedan), it easily packs 60 more horses under the hood and the standard equipment on the Subaru pretty much matches the Ralliart line-for-line.

In the end, if you’re looking for an everyday sports car with a three-diamond brand, then the decision’s been made for you, get the Lancer Ralliart. If you can’t drive a stick, want a sedan and prefer the car to do all the shifting for you, get the Lancer Ralliart. If you want the extra exclusivity, get the Lancer Ralliart. However, if you’re looking at bang-for-the-buck, you’ll be hard-pressed to decide between this or the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. And unfortunately for the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, the price ultimately lets it down. A shame really, since it can pretty much go toe-to-toe with that long-time rally rival of theirs.