NRMA Car Review - Mitsubishi Lancer GSR

A real wolf in sheep's clothing, that's Mitsubishi's new Lancer GSR sedan.

Apart from alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, front airdam extension and subtle side skirts, the GSR doesn't look too different to the rest of the Lancer range. But hit the accelerator in this little turbo firecracker and it responds with the performance of a full-blooded sports car.

However, thanks to a sophisticated chassis and drive train that includes full-time four-wheel drive, ABS anti-lock brakes, firmly-set fully independent suspension and sports wheels and tyres, this is one "wolf" that's unlikely to bite you .

The good thing about the Lancer GSR is that you can enjoy sports car levels of performance, handling and braking without enduring the hardships of a sports car such as a cramped interior, lack of luggage space or limited creature comforts.

All this sophistication and performance comes at a price and the GSR will set you back a cool $30,750. For that sort of money you can buy Ford's hot-performing Falcon XR6 or Holden's impressive SS V6, but then I guess not everyone wants a car of that size.

Features and equipment

The "heart" of the Lancer GSR is a 1.8 litre DOHC 16 valve four cylinder engine that with its turbocharger and intercooler, pumps out an impressive 141 kW of power at 6000 rpm and 249 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm. By comparison, the "ordinary" 1.8 litre SOHC Lancer engine puts out 86 kW at 6000 rpm and 161 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm.

The transmission is a five-speed manual and drive goes to all four wheels through a viscous coupling unit. Suspension is similar to other current Lancers - struts and coils up front and multi-link and coils at the rear - but it's beefed up to provide sports handling qualities.

Though some of the lesser model Lancers are a bit short on equipment, the GSR has plenty of luxury and convenience features. Standard items include power steering,, central locking, (from both front doors), electric windows, electric mirrors and a four-speaker sound system.

In the NRMA Theft Rating exercise, the Lancer scored 37 out of 100 points. That leaves plenty of room for improvement but it's still enough to place the Lancer third in its class behind the Nissan Pulsar and the Ford Laser.

Body and finish

There's nothing too avant-garde about the Lancer sedan's body styling; but the GSR does set itself apart from it's more mundane family members with its extra body fittings and its alloy wheels.

Typical of fully-imported Japanese cars, the GSR test car displayed excellent paint finish and high quality trimming. The only thing that disappointed me was the closing "feel" of the doors; particularly the rear ones which didn't sound as if they were latched properly at times, after shutting them.

Mitsubishi says that "exhaustive" anti-corrosion measures have been applied to the Lancer and if past models are anything to go by, body rust shouldn't be a problem. All body sheetmetal panels are warranted against perforation by corrosion (rust holes, in other words) for a period of five years.

Comfort and space

The driver and front passenger are seated in a pair of supportive bucket seats that are firm but generally comfortable. Front leg room is generous and head room is good (the driver's seat is height-adjustable).

Though equipped with seat belts for five occupants, the GSR is best regarded as a four-seater unless the three in the back are small, as the rear seat isn't really wide enough for three adults. Rather poor shaping of the seat backrest means rear occupants don't enjoy high levels of comfort. Rear leg room is reasonable and head room is satisfactory.

The GSR's firm suspension settings are designed for handling rather than comfort and consequently, the ride is fairly hard. However, even on unsealed surfaces, I didn't find the GSR to be unduly harsh.

The boot isn't especially deep, but the area is wide and long, with a solid, flat floor and a low loading lip, thanks to the cut-out rear panel. The rear seat is split 50/50 to provide around 1.6 metres of load length when required but the extended area isn't flat and the opening is smaller than the seat.

Behind the wheel

The dash and instrument panel follow the current flowing design to place everything within sight and easy reach. The instruments themselves are hardly what you'd call classic sports car design, but at least they're legible.

With the tilt steering wheel and height-adjustable driver's seat, everyone has a good chance of getting comfortable behind the wheel. Vision is good in all directions - the rear spoiler also acts as a good indicator when reversing into confined spaces.

The GSR's turning circle is larger than you'd normally expect in this size of car, but the power-assisted steering makes light work of manoeuvring. The GSR sits lower to the ground and owners will need to be careful when crossing driveways and dips not to scrape the front apron or undercarriage.

On the road

Like in most turbocharged cars, there's a definite surge of power when engine revs reach a certain level (in the GSR's case, from about 3,000 rpm onwards) however the power comes in smoothly and not all brutally like some turbo cars of old.
 
Even at low speeds, the engine pulls well and the impressive reserves of power available at higher speeds enable manoeuvres such as overtaking to be undertaken with confidence and safety.

The gearing is low, which certainly helps the responsive feel of the car, but there are times out on the open road when you go to change up a gear to find you're already in fifth. Low gearing can actually help fuel consumption around town as you spend more time in the higher gears but at a constant speed of say 100 km/h on the highway a faster turning engine is going to use more fuel.

Drive the GSR hard and you're going to use petrol at a rate of around 13 litres per 100 km, however the overall figure for the NRMA test of 11.1 litres/100 km was satisfactory considering the performance available. One hitch is the requirement to run on Premium grade unleaded petrol which is usually around 8 cents per litre dearer than regular unleaded.

The combination of full-time 4WD, firmly-set all-independent suspension and wide-section low-profile tyres provides excellent handling and grip under all conditions. The reserves of roadholding are such that you'd have to be doing something extremely foolhardy to get out of control.
 
The four disc anti-lock braking system proved well up to the task of harnessing the GSR's performance. Emergency braking tests resulted in short stopping distances with no deviation off a straight line and the brakes showed very good resistance to fade under heavy usage.

The gearbox proved pleasant and easy to use but there was some noticeable transmission whine in the higher gears. For some drivers, depressing the clutch fully may prove a bit of a stretch unless they sit close to the steering wheel.

Servicing

After the first service at 1500 km, maintenance is at due at 10,000 km or six monthly intervals. An extra oil change every 5000 km is scheduled for the GSR model because of its turbocharger.

Despite the extra equipment under its bonnet, (turbocharger, intercooler, power steering mechanism, ABS equipment and air conditioning on the test car), there's still good access for routine service work such as level checks and oil filter and spark plug replacement

Towing

Sports sedans such as the Lancer GSR aren't normally bought for their towing capabilities, however for owners who wish to do so, Mitsubishi lists a maximum towing load of 750 kg for a trailer with brakes and 400 kg for a trailer without brakes.

Summary

Overall, I found the Lancer GSR to be a very enjoyable little car. Enthusiasts will revel in the performance, the braking and the levels of handling and roadholding, but at the same time it's also a vehicle that's pleasant and easy to drive and very much at home just pottering around the suburbs.

When you add the long list of standard safety, luxury and convenience features to the equation, the end result is a desirable little package that has the ability to appeal to a wide range of buyers.

By NRMA Motoring, April 1993.

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