MITSUBISHI - ROAD TEST
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR FQ300 SST
Mitsubishi has brought the legendary Evo back and it is in the guise of the new Lancer Evolution X.
This is the tenth generation of the rally-bred road car and although the word is that this car may not be as hard core as it once was…expect this car to be an enthusiast’s dream. We put the Evo X GSR SST FQ 300 to the test…
LOOKS
The design is less boy-racer and the car looks to be more grown-up but it has still got the menacing presence that its predecessors had. It seems that Mitsubishi has went for a design that looks sporty but is not too much like the cars out of the major film ‘The Fast And The Furious’ – that’s a good thing.
PERFORMANCE
The Evo X is a brilliant, rally-bred road car. Under the bonnet we had the standard 290bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine, (the FQ-300), Mitsubishi has confirmed that it will also sell the faster FQ-330 and FQ-360 variants.
Feather the accelerator and you’ll feel the power of the new Evo X under your right foot. ‘Driving enthusiastically’ in this car is a boon. The Japanese car-maker has greatly advanced the car, it feels more refined, secure, solid and stable when ‘pushing on’.
Hardcore enthusiasts may get frustrated at the low noise levels, tyre roar is still intrusive but it is the note from the engine, it is less throatier than previous generations, but this also means that the car is easier to live with on a day-to-day basis as your ears are not ringing after you get out of the car.
Getting back to the real deal, the Evo X is brilliantly set-up, the ride is no longer crashy when in and around town, however push on and you can feel that the boffins have got the car to handle almost perfectly. ‘Push on’ and there is barely any roll when cornering and the extraordinary 4WD system combines with the sharp steering allowing the driver maximum control over what the front wheels are doing.
We liked the paddle shift SST semi-auto gearbox, as a rally-driver I enjoy keeping my hands on the wheel and being able to change gear at the same time. Some purists may not enjoy this as much but if you buy it and you used the car on track days then you see the real benefit of this system. The times are good too, the Evo X FQ300 with the SST ‘box can do the zero to 62mph sprint in a time of 4.7 seconds and it has a top speed of 155mph.
INTERIOR
The inside of the Evo X is much better than the previous generations and yes to some it may seem uninspiring as it has a lot of plastic bits – but this is where I disagree with some of my colleagues in the motoring press – the Evo X is a driver’s car not a luxury tourer. Those who buy the Evo X don’t want walnut panels, they want means looks, great handling and a powerful engine.
The hooded dials look great when sitting the figure hugging driver’s seat. The steering wheel is also small in diameter but it is great to hold and drive with. Need to take passengers and you’ll be impressed as the space in the rear is good and the boot should hold about 400-litres of luggage.
A downside is that the rear seats have no split-fold option. The reason for this is that the Japanese car-maker wanted to strengthen the frame as much as possible – it’s 56 per cent stiffer than the old Evo IX. We think safety over practicality is a good choice.
There a good deal of kit in the Evo X as the GSR has standard sat nav (one of the best units on the market) and a 30Gb music hard drive.
OWNERSHIP
It also has far longer service intervals of 10,000 miles, plus an optional service plan that covers you for 30,000 miles of motoring for a one-off payment. One thing that hasn’t changed is the engine’s thirst, though. We averaged 17mpg (and one tank saw us record less than 10mpg!), and a modest 55-litre tank means you’ll be filling up every 200 miles. Retained values are also not in the premier league, insurance costs are predictably high and overall running costs are steep as well.
Prices for the latest incarnation of the Evo series start at £28,499, we drove the GSR FQ300 SST which starts at a price of £32,999 and it has an insurance group of 19A. The new Lancer Evolution X has 10,000 mile service intervals8 and is also available with a Mitsubishi Service Plan at £495, covering the vehicle’s first three scheduled services and the 1,000 mile oil change, and comes complete with a 3-year unlimited mileage warranty and pan-European roadside assistance package to provide entirely worry- free motoring.
AT A GLANCE
| Name/Price: | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutio GSR FQ300 SST/From £32,999 |
| Engine/power: | 2.0-litre/290bhp |
| Co2 emissions: | 256g/km |
| Official Combined fuel economy: | 26.2mpg |
IMN VERDICT
The best Evo yet…you can live with this car on a day-to-day basis but if you want to open it up you can as under the bonnet you have a great engine which is mated to one of the best handling cars on the road.
Simon McBride