A sad news for petrolheads around the world, Mitsubishi Lancer will officially be discontinued this year.
One of the most iconic cars from Japan, the Lancer was first launched in 1973 as a bridging the gap between between Minica Kei car and the Galant sedan. Marketed as a sporty compact sedan, the Lancer arrived in India in 1998 alongside Honda City, and was much adored for brilliant driving dynamics.
There were several generations the Lancer underwent depending upon the market. In India, the lancer saw two generations - 1995-2000 which was sold here for much later despite it being discontinued in the rest of the world, and the Cedia sold from 2006-2012.
The Evo too lived just one generation in India in 2011 - the Evo 10 or more commonly known as Evo X. The car did not do very well in the Indian market as it had a premium pricing and was already in the middle of its life-cycle internationally.
The main reason why the Lancer was a hit with motoring enthusiasts was its impeccable engine - 4-cylinder turbo unit (in the Evo) and all-wheel-drive at an affordable price (internationally).
Another reason was that it responded really well to modifications that even made it churn out 500bhp with ease.
The Lancer was also a movie star as it was featured in movies like Thunderbolt, starring Jackie Chan as a race car driver, and of course the very fabled Fast and Furious series where it was showcased in its Evo avatar.
Another boost to its reputation was its dominance in the rally world in late 90s and early 2000s.
However, Mitsubishi's focus has now moved from being cool performance car brand to one that makes pick-ups and SUVs. Such focus shift previously killed the Galant and now its come to the Lancer.
Comments
0 comment