Mitsubishi Lancer VRX 2006 Review

7-day Test

It was only a few short years ago when Mitsubishi was in the depths of despair that it decided to run another tack in its advertising with the intention of injecting some excitement.

It was around the time of the launch of the first AWD VR-X Magna it came up with the slogan "Spirited Cars for Spirited People". Behind the campaign was a renewed emphasis on its rally heritage and a big push for its VR-X sports models.

That campaign wilted fairly quickly but the VR-X models across the lineup remain the image leaders.

Fast forward to 2006 and the small Lancer VR-X is the closest you can come to the world rally car without spending the $57K on the red-hot fully-blown turbo Evo IX.

Visually, the VR-X looks the part with its rear deck spoiler and body kit, lowered sports suspension and 16-inch alloys and the sports theme continues as you open the doors, albeit in a conservative manner.

Interior trim highlights are in a silver mesh finish (perhaps, we think, to try and emulate an alloy/carbon-fibre look ) the pedals are alloy, there is a leather wrap around the steering wheel and gearshift knob and the seats have a barely discernible red thread through them.

The seats themselves lack any sports shaping, however, and feel flat and hard and the side support bolsters, especially in the squab, are pitiful.

Despite the multiple adjustability of the pews (fore/aft, up/down and recline) the driving position is only adequate and with three pedals on the floor, the clutch foot comes in for some interference from the left footrest.

It's not altogether unwieldy but you would expect better pedal placement and more body hugging seats for the top-of-the-range sports model.

Fire up the engine, however, and the Lancer VR-X starts to display some of the potential suggested by its looks. Under the bonnet is a variable valve timing-equipped (MIVEC in Mitsubishi-speak) 2.4-litre four that delivers a peak power of 115kW at 5750rpm and maximum torque of 220Nm at 3500rpm.

On paper they are good figures and in practice they deliver even more than you might think.

With the car weighing at 1285kg, acceleration off the line is smooth and smart with the engine ably delivering its torque right through the rev band. Push it hard and it keeps upping the power right through to about 6000rpm without any harshness. As you would expect noise levels rise though not in an annoying way.

The engine feels strongest between about 3000 and 5500rpm but that said, it is certainly not peaky and delivers its power in a very linear fashion.  A good example of the tractability of the engine is that is just as happy pushing the revs in second at 100kmh, as it is pulling away from 60km/h in fifth gear. It's a nice even mix where you can use the tight if slightly notchy manual five-speed box to its fullest for enthusiastic driving or cruise comfortably around town with minimal shifts and use the engine's strong midrange torque.

With its sports suspension -- 15mm lower than standard and with firmer springs, dampers and even a front strut brace -- the VR-X rides firm but not uncomfortably so. There is definitely some jiggling around at urban speeds on rougher roads but it remains reasonably damped and feels communicative rather than uncomfortable.

Out on the smooth open freeway, this disappears and the mood inside the cabin is decidedly serene with very low noise levels and the opportunity to crank up the top-notch six-stack CD audio system.

With its firm ride and the lusty engine, the anticipation of tackling some twisty bits out in the country was whetted but unfortunately, the expectations remained somewhat unfulfilled.

Without having tested the standard suspension models, there is a strong probability that the VR-X does offer a better drive experience from a handling perspective but it somehow still lacks the final finesse offered by other small sporty sedan/hatches in its class.

Pushing hard into a tight corner has the front tyres scrabbling for grip as the front end pushes on and when faced with particularly tight alternating turns, there is still more body roll that you would expect given the firmness of the ride.

The steering offers reasonable weight but still lacks communication and feedback and there is a degree of lifelessness on centre.

On more open sweeping roads the car feels more at home and it’s here the 'sports' tag is probably more appropriate, just don't try to push it too hard in the really tight stuff. For that you will need to spend up big on the real sports Lancer, the EVO IX.