For years, Mitsubishi->ke58 has barely made a dent in the automotive world. The rise of competition and the general ambivalence towards automotive progress have played their part in that.

But if there's one model that Mitsubishi can still rely on these days, it's the Lancer->ke1122.

Tried, tested and proven to the hilt, the Lancer has become the standard-bearer for everything that Mitsubishi has represented in the auto industry. That's all well and good, especially for a brand that relies on the model so much.

One particular trim for the Lancer that Mitsubishi has high hopes for is the Lancer Sportback. It shouldn't come as a surprise that a lot of people are high on this model, proudly carrying the Lancer badge all while coming in a space-saving hatchback trim that's far removed from the mighty Lancer Evolution models.

Even though it's not as powerful as its Evolution brother, the Lancer Sportback has plenty of endearing qualities about it. And again, for Mitsubishi, that's a win in its own right.

Click past the jump to read about the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback

Exterior

In some ways, the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback doesn't deviate too much from what we've come to know about the car. Don't get us wrong; there are some pretty interesting details about the car that'll get your juices flowing.

For one, it adheres to its "Sportback" name by taking on its shape. That's always a good thing; plus, Mitsubishi really worked extra hard to give the Lancer Sportback an edgy and aggressive look, no more evident than the presence of an aggressive front grille, angled headlamps, chrome-tipped exhaust and a raised rear spoiler. Mitsubishi says that all these added components make the Lancer Sportback stand out in a crowd. On that note, you won't hear any complaints from us.

Another particularly interesting feature of the ride is the presence of Thule sport rack sockets that transform your roof into one that's capable of carrying just about anything. Be it a snowboard, a bike, a kayak or skiing items, these sockets will give you easy storage at any given point and time.

We would've liked it if Mitsubishi gave the exterior a refreshed look, but we're not complaining about what it's got right now. Touches of sporty aggression go hand in hand with its improved performance credentials. That, in itself, is a point on the plus side.

Exterior Dimensions:

Standard Exterior Features

-Auto-off halogen headlamps with welcome light and coming home light

-Variable intermittent windshield wipers and washers with Intelligent washer

-Fog lights (GT)

-Front upper grille (chrome accent) (ES)

-Front lower grille (chrome accent) (ES)

-Sport front grille and bumper (GT)

-Short pole antenna

-Roof plug-in Thule sport rack accommodation

-Green laminated windshield

-Exhaust finisher (GT)

Interior

You won't be able to tell that the Lancer Sportback is an affordable compact car by looking at what it has inside its cabin. On the contrary, the details and features Mitsubishi put into the interior are enough for even a car of higher esteem.

Leather is prevalent everywhere, which is something you wouldn't normally see in a Lancer. But the Lancer Sportback has it, including heated leather seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The VIP treatment beckons with the Lancer Sportback.

In addition, the Lancer Sportback has enough cargo space in its boot to provide plenty of space for you to stow your belongings. All in all, the maximum cargo capacity is 52.7 cubic feet and on top of that, you also get 60/40 split-fold rear seats, a dual-level cargo floor, and a wide rear hatch, proving that space isn't a problem when it comes to this little maven.

And finally, touches of technology can also be found inside the Lancer Sportback. It's got a premium Rockford Fosgate Punch premium sound system that pumps up to 710 watts through nine speakers (including a 10-inch subwoofer) to deliver deep, rich bass and crystal-clear highs. Together with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), the kick ass sound system allows you to incorporate a sound compensation feature that automatically adjusts both volume and equalizer levels based on vehicle speed.

Interior Dimensions:

Performance

With two available trims, the Lancer Sportback comes with a choice of two engines: a 2.0-liter in-line-four and a bigger 2.4-liter in-line-four. The former a develops 148 horsepower at 6,000 rpm to go along with 145 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm, while the latter produces 168 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 167 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. No performance numbers were disclosed but we expect the Lancer Sportback to be able to spring from 0 to 60 mph in a little over 10 seconds with a 115 mph top speed to go with it.

Engine Specifications:

Safety

All Lancer Sportback models come with a multitude of standard equipment, including with dual front, front side and full-length side curtain airbags in addition to a driver's knee airbag, traction and stability control systems and a tire-pressure monitoring system, among others.

Safety Features

-Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)

-Advanced dual-stage front airbags³ with seat position sensors

-Side-impact head protection curtain airbags³ (front and rear)

-Front seat-mounted side airbags³

-Driver's side knee airbag³

-Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)⁴ with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)

-Brake Assist

-Active Stability Control (ASC)⁴ with Traction Control (TCL)

-5-mph front bumper

-Front seat structure to reduce whiplash injury

-Interior head impact protection

-Tire pressure monitoring system

-Three-point seatbelts and head restraints for all occupants

-Height-adjustable front shoulder belts with pretensioner

-Theft-deterrent security alarm system and engine immobilizer

-Child safety locks (rear doors)

-RISE body construction (64 km/h OBD)

-LATCH system (Lower Anchor and Tethers for Children) for CRS

-Front pedestrian impact crumple zones

Pricing

The base price for the Mitsubishi Lancer ES is $18,495 while the GT model retails at a base price of $21,495.

Base Pricing:

Option Pricing:

Includes:

-16" Alloy Wheels

Includes:

-FUSE Handsfree Link Systerm--w/ USB Port

-Power Glass Sunroof, Fast Key Entry System

-Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel

-SiriusXM Satellite Radio w/ 3 Month Subscription

-6 Speaker Audio System

-Chrome Lower Grille Accent

-Soft Touch Front Door Trim

-High Contrast Meter Gauges

Includes:

-Leather Seating Surfaces

-710 Watt Rockford Fosgate Punch Premium Sound System w/ 9 Speakers Including 10-In Subwoofer w/ Punch Control-

-DTS Neural Surround

-PremiDIA-Wide Surround and Dolby Volume

-Auto On/Off Headlight Control

-HID Headlights

-Rain Sensing Wipers

-Heated Front Seats

-Power Glass Sunroof

Includes

-Navigation System with High Definition 7" Touch Screen

-Real Time Traffic

-3D Mapping

Competition

Unfortunately for the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, it is part of a market with many competitors. And not just competitors, but rivals that offer more things to the customer than the Lancer Sportback.

2014 Mazda3 Hatchback

Mazda introduced the new-generation 3 hatch and it has many advantages over the Lancer Sportback. The most noticeable is in the powertrain where the Mazda3 has more powerful engine choices, to put it simply. The bigger of the two engine offerings from Mazda is a 2.5-liter that produces a total of 184 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 185 pound-feet of torque at 3,250 rpm. That is good enough to hit a top speed of 130 mph.

2014 Ford Focus

Hailing from the U.S., the new-generation Ford Focus was unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. The new Focus was moved on a new global C-segment platform and comes with a redesigned exterior and interior language.

Under the hood, the model also gets a competitive engine to the Lancer Sportback, thanks in part to a fuel efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 155 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque.

Conclusion

Truth be told, the Lancer Sportback is a solid car with some pretty solid features to it. The interior is spanking nice; the exterior is relatively aggressive; and it's got a versatile choice of fuel efficient engines.

It faces some stiff competition from a lot of other brands, but it holds up against them quite nicely, which for Mitsubishi is a victory in its own right.