How hot is hot enough? We strapped the O’Kane rabbit into the Ralliart Lancer and let him loose to find out. He came back (damn) with a note-pad filled with heretical views. Here is his report.
Forget about racetracks and dragstrips: tight, twisting country backroads are arguably the ultimate proving ground of road-going sportscars.
Out here, bumpstop-smashing crests and troughs make good ground clearance and long suspension travel a must, and the occasional variance in surface quality (whether caused by a patch of gravel or a stray cowpat) means all-wheel-drive is preferable.
No surprise then that one of the most favoured ‘B-road’ blasters these days is Mitsubishi’s technological triumph, the Lancer Evolution X.
With a banzai 2.0 litre turbocharged four-pot singing away under the bonnet and a sophisticated AWD system directing power to whichever corner can make the most of it, the Evo has unsurprisingly made its mark on virtually every form of motorsport – most notably rally.
But what happens when you take the same engine and the same twin-clutch gearbox as the top-spec Lancer Evolution X MR, hang just a single-scroll turbo on the side, hook it up to a slightly less-sophisticated AWD system and drop it into a slightly less-focused chassis?
You get the Lancer Ralliart - and by gum, in my opinion, it’s even better than the Evo.
A controversial statement, people have been stoned for less. Especially considering the Evo boasts a 0-100km/h time that’s well over a second quicker than the Ralliart and utilises a far less compromised chassis and suspension.
But real-world performance is far from just being a matter of outright power and cornering G – there’s more to it than that. We’ll get to this later, but first, let’s delve into the nuts and bolts and discover what makes the Ralliart, a Ralliart.
The Body
Our tester came in Sportback flavour, the hatch-backed sister to the by-now familiar Lancer sedan. If you asked me, I’d tell you it’s the prettiest of the Lancer family, but if you ask anyone else it seems the sedan has the broadest appeal. Whatever.
The Lancer Ralliart Sportback is virtually identical to the sedan from the B-pillar forward, meaning you get an Evo-esque front bumper with an attractive chrome bezel around the central opening, as well as the very same aluminium bonnet from the Evolution X.
Along the Ralliart’s flanks there’s a chrome beltline moulding, but the rest is standard Lancer fare. The Evo’s bulging fenders, sadly, are nowhere to be seen.
Out back there’s a dual exhaust framed by a faux diffuser, and a sizable wing atop the hatch imparts sufficient ‘sportiness’ to the Lancer’s rump. Ralliart badges on the hatch and within the front grille add the finishing touch, and the whole package is rather attractive.
The Cockpit
The interior definitely ranks as one of the nicest in the Lancer range. Torso-hugging seats are among the best in the hot hatch class (although we wish the Evo’s Recaro’s were an option), and the leather-wrapped tiller is pinched straight from the Evolution parts bin.
The keen-eyed among you will have noticed that the gear lever is also a dead ringer for the Evolution X MR’s unit. It’s similar, but not entirely the same – I’ll give you the low-down in just a minute.
Elsewhere, the interior should be pretty familiar to anyone who’s ever been in a base Lancer Sportback. Door trim, seat material and the lid of the centre console box are unique to the Ralliart, but the hard plastic dash, rear seats and boot space are not.
But honestly, who gives a toss. The Ralliart isn’t premium motoring – it’s all about performance on a budget. And it delivers that in spades.
2010 BMW 120d Hatch manual (E87) 
2009 Holden Commodore SS Sportwagon 
2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage 
2009 Ford Mondeo MB (Titanium) 
2009 Honda Civic Type R 
2009 Nissan 370Z Auto 
2009 Volkswagen Passat CC V6 FSI 
2009 HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer
Another reviewer has noticed some boost control issues - but there is no mention of this on any other review I’ve read (of either the Ralliart or Evo). Does this boost control problem exist?
Surprised there’s no comparison to the WRX- I suppose when the new version comes out?
Anyway, this car is tempting… so very tempting. I’ll be thinking long and hard every time I go past a bank I think!
Great review Tony! I’ve had my RA sedan for a month now, and couldn’t agree more with the review, both for pro’s and cons.
When considering the price, about $24K cheaper than the Evo with TC-SST ($17K 5sp manual evo), it’s a bargain and has the potential for some sweet modification action
as for comparing it to a WRX..this is a ralliart review, not a WRX review, and secondly, the WRX is no comparison, honestly. My mates, one with a highly modified my99 wrx and another with his S13 were very impressed, especially with the gearbox and the grunt “oi you should’ve seen how easily the car belted up that huge hill up the road!”
Lack of recaros, hid headlamps and poor tyres are problems, but these can be rectified and what’s under the bonnet, is a great foundation on which to build on the RA’s potential
Best bang for buck, full stop!
I find it hard believing that these seats are ‘amongst the best in the hot hatch class’…to be frank, they are horrible! the cushion is much to soft and the bolsters do not offer very good lateral support, not to mention how cheap the material felt.
I can name numerous hot hatches with better pews than the Ralliart:
- Renault Megane Sport
- Renault Clio 197 (Recaro’s)
- Golf GTI (Recaro’s)
- Mazda MPS
- Ford Focus XR5 Turbo (Recaro’s)
- Honda Civic Type R
- Subaru Impreza WRX hatch
Now in my opinion, the Ralliart seats don’t even match up to any of those in terms of comfort, support, and aesthetics.
Yeah the seats are potentially the biggest let-down in my RA, you’ll notice on mitsu forums that it’s a regular complaint, with no valid reason as to why the Australian market RA doesn’t even have the recaro’s as an option, while (as far as I know) all other RA’s around the world, inc. US, UK, JDM and NZ HAVE recaro’s standard.
Seats will be the first mod for sure
Good decision mate. If the RA came with recaro’s as standard, i can assure you that a lot more people would be interested in the beast.
Well having owned my RA four 3 months now, I have had the opportunity ti try it out at the local track days. Now I am no race driver by any means but now…What a HOOT!!!!! I owned a MY99 WRX and loved it! But this car has made me look like a pro. All I have to do is concentrate on driving, not pick gears etc. The members are blown away at the difference in my driving. Then they are blown away to find out I am in an auto! But one thing do change the tyres. 2 other members have now bought Ra’s because of my new found pace. But it is a dog off the mark and do not try loading it up at the line as the local dealer has old me the gearbox oil will last about 3 times and will have to be replaced and it costs about $100 a litre (synthetic).
Your comparing it to a 1999 WRX, i would be shocked if the RA wasnt better.
Try comparing it to the new 191KW WRX and see if it still comes out trumps in the performance dept.
Yo seat-people,
I’ve never looked mind you, but I’m reasonably certain that Tony has got a pointy little arse. He even finds porta-potties comfortable - which makes choosing a chair at his place a bit of a challenge.
That said, we do like the Lancer’s interior notwithstanding differing views about the front pews. It is curious there’s no Recaro option; can’t imagine what ‘The Bish’ is thinking here.
The Insider