Bridging the power gap

What can be further written about the stunning Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution that hasn’t already been published?

How about – you can get into a vehicle that is very similar in presentation if you can do without the awesome performance and the $20,000 price premium (that’s a lot of cash, nearly doubling what was then the next lower Lancer model).

The new for 2009 Lancer Ralliart bridges that gap with a $33,000 MSRP – still a jump, but a nice stepping stone from the $22,000 GTS to the $42,000 Evo GSR. You can opt for a $5,000 premium package that adds leather seats, a power sunroof, upgraded sound system with respective electronic connectivity, auto headlamps and wipers and such. Our test car did without it and we did just fine!

What Ralliart supplies is an inkling of the performance of the Evo, with all-wheel drive (through three selectable modes – Tarmac for wet/dry pavement, Gravel, and Snow) and the sequentially-shiftable double clutch Shiftronic transmission (the only available transmission on Ralliart but optional fitment on Evo).

It also looks like Evo with its deep side cladding, sculpted hood and high rear spoiler that sort of plays with your rearview vision until you get used to it - you’ll get appreciate the way it’s at the perfect level to block headlights that would otherwise blind you.

The ride is noticeably stiffer than I encountered on a regular Lancer (which already has a pretty stiff suspension itself) a month or so back, but not so stiff that I went out of my way to avoid some roads (other than those that are so horribly disfigured that I avoid them in the best-riding of cars anyway). Once the roads kinked up and the speeds crept up, though, the Ralliart really began to show its racing heritage.

More closely calibrated toward Evo in stiffness than it is to the sedate Lancer, Ralliart is magnificent through a stretch of twisty bits, demonstrating barely noticeable weight transfer and putting the power down or the binders on with nary a dip to the tail or nose, respectively. Steering is delightfully direct and quite often I found myself having to correct inputs that hugged a corner just a little too tightly.

Power is delivered by a detuned version of the Evo turbo four-cylinder engine. In Ralliart, it makes 237 horsepower and 253 lb.-ft. of torque from its 2.0 litres of displacement (291 and 300, respectively, in Evo), which is probably more than most people who don’t have access to a racetrack would want.

The downside is economy – in our hands, Ralliart was barely able to match average fuel usage equal to that of much larger cars, barely scratching under the 11 litres per 100 km mark. That’s worse than a Porsche Boxster S or Nissan 350Z and they use “sixes” of 3.4 and 3.5 litre displacements! And just when you think it couldn’t get worse, you throw open the fuel-flap and find it wants premium fuel.

Power delivery is progressively smooth in fully automatic mode (with the driver having the choice of normal or sportier shift points), with gear changes snapping your head back as they engage. Downshifts are also pronounced, though the shift itself is smoothed out pretty well (it’s something you hear more than feel, as the revs climb in the lower gear).

For those who prefer to control those things themselves, the transmission has a gate to the left where you can manually pull up a gear or push down one, or you can keep your hands on the wheel while right-handing it up a gear or left-handing it down one. Shifts in this way are carried out without the need to shift the centre-mounted lever and keeps the transmission in manual mode until the vehicle comes to a stop; pulling and holding the right paddle switches back to automatic mode.

It all adds to a sporty driving experience further enhanced by tight-fitting (almost-wraparound) Recaro racing seats that have the holes below the headrest for those who want to fit their rides with racing harnesses. The deep rear bucket seats add a modicum or lateral support for rear passengers, but even close to the same level as the front ones.

Trying to fit a centre passenger is as friendly a move as you find in any other compact, but you will find a decent amount of legroom back there. Lengthy front seat tracks allow tall front seat passengers to stretch out better without impacting too much on smaller rear seat occupants.

So in the end, you’re left with a decision about whether to choose between the sedate efficiency of a Lancer and the awesome performance of an Evo. And almost smack dab in the middle (in power, in economy and in price) you’ll find Ralliart.

Choose wisely my friends.