SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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We drive the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer 2,0 CVT

No ordinary commuter

Originally Posted: July 31, 2008

Mitsubishi’s Lancer has evolved. This deliberate pun on the name of its fire-breathing sister is for two reasons. First, it sports an all-new chassis that’s even stiffer than that of the Evolution IX and serves as an excellent basis for the Evolution X. Second, it is now available with a delightful CVT transmission, for those who prefer the convenience of auto-shifting during the grind of crawl-hour traffic.

(Ed's after-note: This was my 'first' CVT and the experience was encouraging. It's a pity that it took so long for other manufacturers to get theirs to work as well as this one did.)

We specifically mention its use in traffic jams because the car and its gearbox, in sporting “sequential manual” mode, are far too nice to waste on full-time use of autopilot.  A willing engine, developing 114 kW at 6000 rpm and 199 Nm of torque at 4250 rpm, great handling and a quick-shifting six speed gearbox make up a fun package that has no business being used solely as a commuter drone.

Debate has raged for some time as to how quickly human hands and feet can change gears. With this ‘box, as you move the stick, the job is done. You can’t get quicker than that.

Left to its own, the ‘box will keep the car cruising along nicely at the most favourable rpm balance between performance and economy. It will also downshift by one gear with a gentle nudge of the accelerator – not a kickdown in the conventional sense, but a slight shifting of drive belt on the transmission cones. It provides a reassuring thrust of power when you need it, for overtaking or when negotiating city corners, for example.
 
It’s roomy, too. By comparison with the previous generation Lancer, the wheelbase has been extended by 35 mm and its track widened by 60 mm. With an overall vehicle length of 4 570 mm, the cabin affords plenty of head- and legroom for passengers and the boot, at 400 litres, is among the biggest in its class.  Fuel tank capacity has also increased, from 50 to 59 litres.
 
Mitsubishi builds its bodies using a philosophy dubbed RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution), which ensures passenger cell integrity in a wide variety of accident situations. Fifteen points around the body were targeted for reinforcing, while torsional rigidity was increased by 56 percent and bending resistance by 50 percent.

Proven fully independent suspension with McPherson struts in front and a multi-link setup at the rear, keeps everything under control, while 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, EBD and Brake Assist look after stopping.

Our only niggles concerned some untidiness with the boot carpeting and a feeling of cheapness about some plastic fittings, like the seat height adjuster, for example.

At R197 000, the Lancer CVT is a roomy and willing family car that begs to be used by those to whom automatic transmission is a “nice to have”, rather than an absolute necessity.

At time of writing, this car was only 9 days past its release date, so no performance data was available from Car magazine – hence the use of manufacturer’s figures in the box.

Test unit from Mitsubishi Motor SA press fleet

The numbers
Engine: 1998 cc four-cylinder DOHC 16 valve
Power: 114 kW at 6 000 rpm
Torque: 199 Nm at 4 250 rpm
0 - 100 km/h: 10,3 secs
Top speed: 200 km/h
Average fuel consumption; 8,2 l/100 km (NAAMSA)
CO2 gm/km: 195 (NAAMSA)
Price at time of posting: R197 000
Warranty: 2 years/100 000 km
Service Plan: 5 years/100 000 km


What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.