Mitsubishi Lancer Saloon 1.5 SE Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5 SE
Prices: £12,499 – on the road
Insurance Group: 5
Emissions: 153g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 11.6s / Max Speed 119mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 34.4mpg / (extra urban) 52.3mpg / (combined) 44.1mpg
Safety: ABS, twin front, side, curtain and knee airbags, ISOFIX child seat mountings
Dimensions: length/width/height mm 4570/1760/1490

PROMISING PRICING

Our Rating: 7.1 / 10

Mitsubishi has honed the competitive edge of its Lancer Saloon with the value for money 1.5-litre SE model. Steve Walker reports.

We’re often told that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. This kind of cautious approach should help weed out e-mails from retired West African army officers looking to transfer vast sums of cash into your bank account and the pushy door-to-door salesmen with once-in-a-lifetime discounts on conservatories if you sign up today. A healthy degree of scepticism makes sense when dealing with such propositions but we shouldn’t become so cynical that we miss out on a genuinely worthwhile opportunity. Mitsubishi’s Lancer 1.5 SE looks conspicuously cheap compared to other family saloon cars but is it one to approach with caution or a solid gold bargain?

The Mitsubishi Lancer is probably best known for its alter ego, the Lancer Evolution rally replica, but this is an ordinary Lancer saloon and the links to Mitsubishi’s four-wheel-drive turbocharged tearaway are slight. The ordinary Lancer is a relatively mundane front wheel drive saloon car that counts value for money as its main selling point and that’s even more the case with this 1.5-litre SE model that sits at the foot of the range.

Mitsubishi will occasionally attempt to raise the Lancer’s profile by reminding everyone that it runs on similar mechanicals to a 300bhp Evo but it’s tough to take that too seriously when there’s a 107bhp 1.5-litre engine under the bonnet. It’s a modern unit with variable valve timing technology to improve its efficiency but performance is never going to be exhilarating with that kind of power and just 143Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. Still, the 0-62mph sprint takes 11.6s and there’s a top speed of 119mph, so there should be little problem keeping up with traffic.

The Evo links might be tenuous but at least the Lancer inherits a reasonably polished driving experience from its lunatic sibling. The steering is accurate, there’s a slick gearchange and the car feels grippy and balanced in corners. The ride quality is less impressive and is firmer than most buyers in this sector will like. The overall package is still better than what we’ve come to expect in the budget family car sector where driving dynamics usually come some way down the order of priorities.

A big part of the old Lancer’s problem was that it looked so staid. This time round, Mitsubishi isn’t making that mistake. Even the entry-level model looks sharp, with the aggressive, squinting front end and the rising waistline giving it a pugnacious stance. The car is built on a longer wheelbase and a wider track than its predecessor, although it’s marginally shorter in overall length. Interior space is plentiful and there’s a big boot at the rear but the saloon bodystyle is inevitably less practical than the hatchback alternative.

A big draw is the improved interior quality. The plastics and design are still probably a notch below the best in this price bracket, but they’re no longer leagues off the pace as they were in the last generation model. The cowled instruments are a nice touch. Space inside is better than in the previous version of this car thanks to the wheelbase and track increases but if you’re worried about losing out on luggage room by choosing a 4-door rather than a 5-door Lancer, then don’t be too concerned: the 5-door Sportback version is no cavernous load lugger, the steeply raked rear end impinging on carrying capacity. Score one to the stylists.

The 1.5-litre SE sits at the base of the Lancer saloon range, undercutting the 1.8-litre GS3 by a hefty £3,000. It’s also £2,000 cheaper than a Lancer hatchback with the 1.5-litre engine and represents a whole lot of car for the sort of money that would normally only secure you a moderately well-equipped su