What Made the Lancer Ralliart so unique
It was very similar to the Evo light. If you opted for the Lancer Ralliart, you were given a toned-down version of the 4B11 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that was standard in the Evo. The Lancer Ralliart utilized an AWD drive system that was a shortened version of the layout used in the Evolution X and was utilized in the Lancer Ralliart, which resulted in it producing 237 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque. Even the transmission was taken from the Evo and installed in the new vehicle. The Lancer Ralliart received the same TC-SST six-speed dual-clutch transmission as the Evo X.
This is in contrast to the more basic Lancer Ralliart, which were designed to compete with the Corolla and the Civic. These Lancers were offered with either a five-speed manual transmission or a terrible continuously variable transmission (CVT) that Mitsubishi had the audacity to equip with paddle shifters on GTS models. The only thing that set these two automobiles apart from one another was that the Lancer Ralliart had two transmission modes (normal and sport), while the Evo had three (normal, sport, s-sport).
Lancer Ralliart Models
It was not quite a fair fight when the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the Subaru Impreza WRX initially debuted on the market in the United States at the beginning of the new millennium. The Subaru with 227 horsepower had a starting price of less than $25,000, while the Evo with 271 horsepower began at about $30,000. Although Subaru answered the more expensive and potent Evo with its STI, it took Mitsubishi until 2009 to respond to the fun and middleweight WRX with the Lancer Ralliart sedan, which we refer to as the “Evo Lite.”
However, Subaru provides WRX purchasers with the option of either four or five doors, and Mitsubishi needed one more year to redress this imbalance by producing the five-door Sportback Lancer Ralliart. Following the culmination of that army’s construction, we placed an order for a Sportback in preparation for a jaunt of 40,000 miles. Read also
Lancer Ralliart Equipment’s
Bluetooth connectivity, keyless entry and ignition, automatic climate control, traction and stability controls, nine airbags, and other advanced safety features are all standard on the Sportback Ralliart. We added one more option to that, which was the Recaro Sport package. This option includes heavily bolstered Recaro front seats, auto-on/off HID headlights, and an upgraded Rockford Fosgate stereo system with satellite radio, a six-disc changer, nine speakers, and a 10-inch subwoofer. The Recaro Sport package also comes with an upgraded Rockford Fosgate stereo system. This $2750 package boosted the total price to $31,085, which is getting dangerously close to being an Evo price.
Lancer Ralliart Performance
There are a few minor aesthetic distinctions between the standard Lancer and the Ralliart, but the thing that truly differentiates the Ralliart from the regular Lancer is what’s going on underneath the surface. The Lancer Ralliart borrows the 2.0-liter long-block from the more powerful Lancer Evolution, but it has its own unique (lesser) bits, such as a single-scroll instead of the Evo’s twin-scroll unit, a new camshaft, and unique engine programming. These modifications reduce the Evo’s 291 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque to 237 and 253, respectively. The sole transmission that is available is a six-speed dual-clutch automatic, and it is that transmission that sends the thrust to all four wheels. During our preliminary testing, the 2.0-liter engine propelled the Sportback to 60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds, which is fast but not particularly impressive when compared to other vehicles’ acceleration times. The Sportback completed the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds at 94 miles per hour. The Mitsu experienced a 0.3-second improvement in the 0-to-60 sprint and a quarter-mile improvement of 2 mph after it had been broken in for 39,000 miles. Additionally, the trapped speed increased by 2 mph. Even while it reached 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds, which made us happy, it still isn’t as fast as the cheaper, lighter, and more powerful WRX. The most recent Rexes that we have tested take between 4.7 and 5.0 seconds to reach 60 kilometers per hour.
In addition, the results of the test showed that the Sportback’s skidpad grip had decreased by an insignificant 0.01 g, coming in at 0.81, and that it required 176 feet to come to a stop from 70 miles per hour, which was an increase of six feet from its first test. The average miles per gallon achieved during the trip was 20, which places it smack in the middle of the city/highway forecasts made by the EPA, which are 17/25.
Because of the Ralliart’s impressive capabilities in the snow, when it arrived at our Michigan office during the winter months, it was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm. A set of ice-and-snow 205/60 Continental ExtremeWinterContact tires, which cost $359 for a set of four, were placed atop 16-inch wheels taken from an everyday Lancer. These tires assisted the all-wheel drive system in overcoming low-traction circumstances. (Our usual Yokohama Advan A10 rubber, which is only used during the summer, was wrapped around 18-inch wheels.) Although the tires did a good job of keeping us moving through the winter, the tall sidewalls were not a good match for the rear suspension of the Sportback. At highway speeds, the back end of the Lancer Ralliart felt sloppy and unsteady, and although nobody admitted to any actual pucker moments, none of us felt comfortable steering the Lancer. The Ralliart’s rear end felt loose and unstable.
Even before the snow could start to melt, our feelings towards the Lancer Ralliart started to change. Its positive characteristics are pretty much limited to its attractive exterior, razor-sharp steering like that of the Evo, pleasing sound from the upgraded stereo, a relatively compliant ride, and a satisfying brake pedal, although the latter began to dull slightly toward the end of the test. Its negative characteristics are pretty much nonexistent. Aside from that, virtually every other aspect of the automobile was contentious, beginning with the Recaro seats.
Lancer Ralliart Specifications
PRICE AS TESTED: $31,085 (base price: $28,335)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power: 237 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 253 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed dual-clutch automated manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 103.7 in
Length: 180.4 in
Width: 69.4 in Height: 59.7 in
Curb weight: 3592 lb
PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 5.7 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.1 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 30.3 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 6.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.4 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 138 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 170 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g
PERFORMANCE: 40,000 MILES
Zero to 60 mph: 5.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 15.9 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 6.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.1 sec @ 96 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 139 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 176 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.81 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 17/25 mpg
C/D observed: 20 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt
WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper;
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain;
7 years/100,000 miles corrosion protection;
5 years/unlimited miles roadside assistance
FAQ
Is the Lancer Ralliart a good car?
It is a more affordable version of the high-performance Lancer Evolution, and it gives plenty of thrill thanks to its turbocharged engine, precise handling, and quick, smooth shifts from its automatic manual transmission. The Lancer Ralliart can be found at dealerships around the country.
Does a Lancer Ralliart have a turbo?
The Galant Fortis RALLIART is positioned between the GTS and Evolution variants and acts as a bridge between the two. It has a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 237 horsepower at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 253 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 revolutions per minute. The hood of this vehicle is made of aluminum.
Is Evo better than Ralliart?
However, the Ralliart has less turbo lag, which means that the power comes on sooner. This is evidenced by the fact that the Ralliart reaches its peak torque at 2500 rpm, whereas the Evo reaches its peak torque at 4400 rpm. However, the Ralliart never astounds you with the incredible top-end turbo rush that the Evo is famous for.
Conclusion
This did not result in any significant financial loss. Prices for the Lancer Ralliart ranged from just over $31,000 for a fully loaded Sportback Ralliart to just over $28,000 for the base model. The Lancer Ralliart didn’t have a very long lifespan, which is unfortunate. Even Mitsubishi and Ralliart were affected by the economic downturn like everyone else. At the beginning of 2010, Mitsubishi made the decision to discontinue production of the Lancer Ralliart, and the Lancer Sportback was discontinued in 2014. Somehow, the Lancer was able to survive until the year 2017. And not a lot of them were produced. The production numbers are difficult to track down, but I was only able to locate two units available for purchase across the country. Even though Mitsubishi is only a ghost of what it once was in terms of performance, at least we can look back on models like the Lancer Ralliart to realize that the manufacturer has, at one time or another, truly strived to improve its performance.