Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £14,499 to £24,149
Good-looking, spacious, willing petrol engine, lots of equipment.
Lumpy ride on 18-inch wheels, noisy diesel, imprecise steering.
Not as accomplished as a Focus to drive, but makes up for that with plenty of space, kit and looks.
Rally-bred Evos aside, the last 'standard' Lancer was at best forgettable and, at worst, hopelessly out of touch with its more talented rivals so the new model has its work cut out to make an impression on UK buyers.
Based on the Outlander platform that was co-developed with DaimlerChrysler, the Lancer is new from the ground up. This time round, though, it has looks on its side. Instead of playing the weak undernourished runt of the litter beside the muscular athletic Evo, the new straightforward Lancer convinces in its own right with a sharp new aggressive look.
Available, initially as a 4-door saloon, the 5-door is expected to account for more than 60% of sales when it arrives in the UK in September '08. Engine choice is limited to two petrols, a 108bhp 1.5-litre and a 141bhp 1.8, but the big news is Lancer customers will finally have a diesel option - a Volkswagen-sourced 138bhp 2.0-litre.
Along with the arrival of the 5-door hatch in September will be a sporty all-wheel drive 237bhp Ralliart hatch. That should bridge the gap between the Lancer range and the Evolution X and will go head-to-head with the Focus ST and Civic Type-R.
Pricing begins at £12,499 for the 1.5 in base GS1 trim and will rise to more than £20,000 for the forthcoming Ralliart. Mitsubishi is pitching the Lancer range more at the Focus than Mondeo, despite the 4- and 5-doors having considerably larger dimensions.
