When the announcement was first made back in 2001 that the Lancer->ke1122 would be sold in North America, it was greeted with cheers from enthusiasts for upwards of 30 seconds before they learned that there were no immediate plans to bring over the EVO. We do have the EVO now, but the regular mainstream version of the Lancer never did catch on with enthusiasts. In fact it didn't really catch on with anyone, and Honda->ke34 has averaged about 10 Civics->ke34 sold in North America for every Lancer sold here since it was first introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year.

Mitsubishi->ke58 has now brought out a facelifted version of the current generation to try to win back some customers and undo the sales side that the model has been in for about a decade at this point. The facelift has more riding on it that just sales though, Mitsubishi has been said to be debating whether or not to kill off the model altogether, and the success of the model over the next couple of years will no doubt determine its fate once and for all. These kinds of moves do sometimes work, but the Lancer has a long way to go to be a serious competitor in its segment.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer.

mitsubishi-lancer

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: mitsubishi-lancer
Pros
Cons

2016 Mitsubishi Lancer

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 148 @ 6000
  • Torque: 145 @ 4200
  • Transmission: five-speed manual
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The styling of the current Lancer has already been tweaked a bit, but is still based on the original design for this generation that dates back to 2007. It hasn't really kept pace with the design of its competitors, but it does have to be said that it's still a massive improvement over the previous generation. The facelift doesn't include any actual changes to the sheet metal, but there are a few new touches to the front and rear fascias.

The grille surrounds are chromed and flanked by new LED daytime running lights. There are a handful of new paint colors, but these are still just variations on black, white, gray, red and blue – the same five colors that basically all mainstream cars come in these days. And though they aren't new, fog lights and aluminum alloy wheels are now standard features for all trim levels.

Exterior Dimensions

Wheelbase

103.7 Inches

Length

182.1 Inches

Width

69.4 Inches

Height

58.3 Inches

Track, Front

60.2 Inches

Track, Rear

60.2 Inches

Min. Ground Clearance

5.5 Inches


Interior

You know that you're in trouble when “tilt-adjustable steering column” is listed as a feature on a car, it means that there really isn't much to talk about and the manufacturer feels the need to pad the list. There have been some improvements though, most notably when it comes to the infotainment system, with Bluetooth now being offered as a standard feature.

The fabric used for the seats has been upgraded and a large infotainment screen now dominates the center stack. These are certainly welcome improvements, as the interior of the Lancer has always been a serious weak point. But the overall look is still very cheap looking and incredibly dated, even for 2007 when it was new. For example, that big infotainment screen is not a touchscreen.

Interior Dimensions

Head Room (with sunroof)

Front

39.6 Inches (38.5 Inches)

Rear

36.9 Inches

Leg room

Front

42.3 Inches

Rear

36.1 Inches

Front

Front

54.7 Inches

Rear

54.3 Inches

Rear

Front

53.3 Inches

Shoulder room

54.1 Inches


Drivetrain

The base model is still powered by the same 2.0-liter engine, with the slightly more powerful 2.4-liter coming in the higher trim levels and the Lancer GT. There is an improved version of the CVT and Mitsubishi's AWD system, which seems like good news, but there is no regular automatic and those who want the AWD have to take the CVT as well. The five-speed manual transmission is available only for the base trim and the base GT trim. Fuel economy is decent, but not in any way that is going to stand out, especially when the car's biggest competitors have hybrid versions available.

The 2.0-liter engine produces 148 horsepower and the 2.4 puts out 168. Those numbers aren't exceptional for this segment, but that does mean that they aren't exceptionally bad either. The Lancer has still been regularly criticized for being dull to drive, and this has had more to do with the transmissions offered than the horsepower ratings. The CVT is especially bad in this department, but hopefully this allegedly improved version will correct at least some of that.

Drivetrain Specifications

Type

2.0L I4 DOHC, 16-valve, Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control system (MIVEC)

2.4L I4 DOHC, 16-valve, Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control system (MIVEC)

Engine Code

4B11

4B12

Materials

Aluminum block/ aluminum cylinder heads

Aluminum block/ aluminum cylinder heads

Bore x Stroke (in./mm)

3.4 in. x 3.4 in. / 86.0 mm x 86.0 mm

3.5 in. x 3.8 in. / 88.0 mm x 97.0 mm

Compression Ratio

10.0:1

10.5:1

Displacement

2.0L /1998cc

2.4L /2360cc

Horsepower

5MT: 148 @ 6000 rpm CVT (FED): 148 @ 6000 rpm CVT (CAL): 143 @ 6000 rpm

168 @ 6000 rpm

Torque

5MT: 145 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm CVT (FED): 145 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm CVT (CAL): 143 lb-ft@ 4200 rpm 167 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm

167 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm


Safety

The Lancer has a 4-star safety rating from the NHTSA. The rating for the driver is actually five stars in both front and side impacts, but a poor rating for back seat occupants brings the average down to 4 stars overall. For those that don't really ever carry passengers in their cars, the Lancer's rating is much closer to the safety leaders in the segment. Driver's aides are all but nonexistent. This isn't so unusual, but if Mitsubishi had really wanted to make the Lancer stand out with these updates, it would have been a good idea to at least offer a few basic ones as options.

Prices

The new $17,595 base price is a few hundred lower than it was for the 2015 model, with a bit more equipment thrown in. That makes a base ES trim a much better value, and in what is one of the most competitive segments in the market, that's hugely important. Appealing to value-oriented customers is a sensible move for Mitsubishi, especially since those interested in design or performance are going to skip right over it. The only problem with that is the Kia Forte, which has a price point starting below $17,000 and therefore will likely draw more of those shopping based on price alone.

Order Code

Description

(Eng./Tran)

Suggested Retail Price

Comments

LN41-A

Lancer ES 4-Door DOHC MIVEC

(2.0L/5MT)

$17,595.00

5-Speed Manual Transmission

LN41-A

Lancer ES 4-Door DOHC MIVEC

(2.0L/CVT)

$18,595.00

Continuously Variable Transmission

LN41-C

Lancer ES AWC 4-Door DOHC MIVEC

(2.4L/CVT)

$19,995.00

Continuously Variable Transmission

LN41-E

Lancer SE AWC 4-Door DOHC MIVEC

(2.4L/CVT)

$20,995.00

Continuously Variable Transmission

LN41-G

Lancer SEL AWC 4-Door DOHC MIVEC

(2.4L/CVT)

$21,995.00

Continuously Variable Transmission

LN41-T

Lancer GT 4-Door DOHC MIVEC

(2.4L/5MT)

$22,495.00

5-Speed Manual Transmission

LN41-T

Lancer GT 4-Door DOHC MIVEC

(2.4L/CVT)

$23,495.00

Continuously Variable Transmission with 6-Step Sportronic® Paddle-Shifters


Options

Navigation System Package

$1,800.00

Popular Equipment Package

$350.00

Floor Illumination (Blue LED), Interior Lights

$335.00

Interior Package

$295.00

Chrome Package

$270.00

All Weather Package

$675.00

Accessory Rear Park Assist Sensors

$295.00

Accessory Rear Lip Spoiler

$290.00

Rear Wing Spoiler

$290.00

Accessory LED Fog Lights

$320.00

Accessory Wheel Locks

$55.00

Accessory All Weather Floor Mats

$80.00

Accessory Roof Rack Cross Bars

$255.00


Competition

Honda Civic

This Civic has always been a strong contender in the compact segment. It might have had a few rough years in the not too distant past, but Honda has just unveiled a new generation of the car and sales are bound to get a boost on the strength of that alone. That means serious competition for the 2016 Lancer from a car that already far outsold it every year. The Civic does have one of the higher base prices in the segment, but that hasn't been a major impediment to sales.

Read more about the Honda Civic here.

Ford Focus

When it comes to small cars that are fun to drive, Ford has been doing a phenomenal job in recent years. The Focus is a European-style sedan and hatchback that still sells quite well in North America. It is arguably one of the more attractive cars in the segment, plus it handles quite well and even offers some serious performance versions. It does suffer from a less than spectacular automatic transmission, but there is a manual available. And even if you do opt for the automatic, it's still better than having a CVT.

Read more about Ford Focus here.

Conclusion

Mitsubishi has definitely made a better Lancer for 2016, that much has to be said. But the problem is that the Lancer needed to be made a lot better to get the attention of buyers that would otherwise be headed straight to the Toyota dealership for a Corolla. The Lancer just isn't special; it does a lot of things decently, but there is no "one thing" that it does better than anything else in the segment. It might even seem as though Mitsubishi doesn't care about the Lancer anymore if this is the best thing that it could come up with to save the car.

Sadly, that's probably exactly what's going on, Mitsubishi is staying afloat in North America right now based almost entirely on its crossover sales, and if it seems like a lot more thought has gone into the diamond star's crossovers, it is probably because that is exactly what has happened. Mitsubishi simply must not have wanted to devote the resources to reviving the Lancer.