The compact Lancer sedan line covers several bases for Mitsubishi, from the entry-level DE to the sportier ES and all-wheel-drive SE and performance-oriented GT and all-wheel-drive Ralliart. The Lancer family includes the rally-inspired Evolution sedan and Sportback five-door hatchback, which are covered in separate reports in the Cars.com Research section.
The Lancer competes with compacts such as the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mazda3 and Nissan Sentra. New for 2013 The all-wheel-drive SE model, added for 2012, gains an optional Premium Package that includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Rockford Fosgate premium stereo, satellite radio and a power sunroof — features that weren’t offered last year — plus new standard alloy wheels. Exterior A forward-leaning grille serves as the focal point for the front of the car. The Ralliart version is more aggressive, with a gaping grille opening and a subtle scoop in its aluminum hood. Exterior features include:
Interior The Lancer sedan seats up to five and comes with a 60/40-split folding rear seat except on the base DE model. A navigation system with a 30-gigabyte hard drive and backup camera is optional on the GT and Ralliart. Air conditioning is standard except on the DE. Interior features include:
Odor-absorbing headliner
Available USB port
Chrome accents (GT, Ralliart)
Optional heated leather seats (GT, Ralliart)
Under the Hood The Lancer is available with a variety of engine and transmission choices. The SE and Ralliart have all-wheel drive, and other Lancer sedans come with front-wheel drive. Mechanical features include:
2.0-liter four-cylinder engine makes 148 horsepower in the DE and ES; a five-speed manual is standard on both, and a continuously variable automatic transmission is optional on the ES
A 168-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder is used in the GT and SE; a five-speed manual is standard on the GT, and a CVT is optional on the GT and standard on the SE
Ralliart models get a 237-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 253 pounds-feet of torque and is matched to a six-speed, twin-clutch automated manual transmission
