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Things went from bad to worse with the addition of some odd-looking interior bits you’d swear came from a surplus shop somewhere. It starts out well as the MX is covered with good quality leather all over. At the same time, this Lancer iteration has enough plastic wood to win over Greenpeace activists. Everything from the steering wheel to the center console to the door trim is all covered in the stuff. If done correctly, it could have appeared downright respectable and decent, like in the Nissan Cefiro. However, with the case of the MX, it turns out as a cheesy exercise. In addition, the MX has faux carbon fiber trim thrown in as well—fully loaded it is, but it’s not done in a classy manner. Ergonomics and seating position are standard Japanese fare: perfectly tuned for the Asian man. The seats are not overly sporty, but comfortable enough even for extended city driving. Although there are some gripes, they are severely minor and mentioning it here would make the MX hide itself in shame and lessen the already few friends that we have. However, I have to mention that the air conditioning is excellent and effective against the midday Manila heat. Being six years old, the Lancer’s driving characteristics feel just as ancient. The engine has a healthy does of 124-bhp and does the 0-something stuff quite well. However, mated to the 4-speed slush box, acceleration doesn’t impress. Though there’s the Porsche style INVECS-II sports shift, it reacts just about faster than you could say Mississippi ten times backwards. Best to leave the automatic in ‘auto’ mode then. Like every other sedan in its segment, the Lancer corners tidily and securely with controlled body roll. However, this car suffers from an unresponsive ‘dead zone’ near the center, so it would take more steering input to twist this car into action. In addition, the steering ratio isn’t that quick, so it hampers the car’s tight cornering and maneuverability. The Lancer’s all-independent suspension set-up (MacPherson up front and Multi-Link at the back) are the right ingredients for a well-balanced ride and handling characteristics. Sadly, the Lancer lacks the former as the relatively sporty 195/55 VR 15 tires, stiffly set springs and small body size contribute to the car’s jittery ride, especially for the people at the back (and no, this one doesn’t come with sick bags as standard). The right stuff was chosen too for the MX’s brake system with four-wheel discs with 4-channel ABS as standard. Sadly, the pedal has a mushy feel that hampers a confidence-inspiring performance. With credit to the folks at Mitsubishi Motors Philippines (MMPI), they did everything they could to hide all the facial wrinkles and beer gut that’s beginning to show. In fact, this latest iteration is the best looking and best sorted out of all the past generation Lancers put together. However, whatever they do—mechanically, the Lancer suffers hugely from underpinnings and a powerplant that perform like a blast from the past. What makes matters worse is with enough rally credentials to make its other segment rivals quiver in fear; the company just can’t take advantage of this. Sure, the MX may look like the Evo V and VI, but in the end they’re miles apart. That’s a far cry from a company that used to originate the concept of factory-tuned cars in the Philippines, as well as cause people to think in awe with just three letters: GTi. |
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