Diesel in silence
When you think of the Mitsubishi Lancer, you probably quickly think of the Evolution versions. The Lancer that we drove exactly thirty years ago was a lot less exciting, although that Lancer was also impressive in some areas.
In the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, the Mitsubishi Lancer still played a significant role in Dutch sales figures. The third generation of ‘our’ European Lancer, introduced at the end of the 1980s, caused quite a stir with its sharp nose, but was good for an average of about 3,000 copies sold per year. His successor was a bit more anonymous for the day and sold a little less well, but it was the last Lancer that still exceeded 1,000 units per year here. Exactly thirty years ago we were able to drive a diesel version of this then fresh generation for the first time. It was a Wagon, because the sedan version took a little longer.
As you can see, we had a copy that, with its silver-gray paint and non-painted bumpers, did not really look flashy. In addition, it was also a diesel, but we were there like the chickens to emphasize that the well-known clichés did not immediately have to be taken out of the closet. “Without the ‘D’ on the tailgate, it has been difficult to recognize a diesel in recent years. The characteristic rattle is usually only faintly audible and the infamous plumes of black smoke are largely a thing of the past.” Mitsubishi already had a name for itself as a builder of refined, modern diesel engines in the early 1990s, so our expectations for this Lancer were high.
In peace…
We were dealing with a modern diesel at the time, but in 2023 the specifications will undoubtedly cause a pitying smile. It was a 2.0 that put 68 hp and 123 Nm in the scale. According to our test data, the Lancer Wagon took 17.4 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h and reached a top speed of 152 km/h. After all, there was no turbo and that was just what would later further boost the image of diesels. Still, we thought it was not wrong at all in the Lancer on the highway. The diesel engine showed itself willingly on intermediate sprints. “A smooth pulling power that, unlike many of its peers, increases nicely with the increase in speed.”
The diesel mainly had to prove itself as a more economical alternative and preferably with as few concessions as possible compared to a petrol version. With ‘making as few concessions as possible’ it was fine with the Lancer. For example, we found that despite the self-igniter it was nice and quiet on board the Lancer. “Even if the cargo space has been maximized and the Lancer thus functions as one large sound box, you certainly cannot complain about the sound of the engine.” Even with a cold start, things quickly went smoothly: “After a minute of city traffic, the diesel knock has almost disappeared and it even becomes difficult to hear the difference with a petrol engine.” Preheating, one of the ‘disadvantages’ of diesels, was also a thing of the past: “The surprises that this two-litre diesel has in store already start when starting. No preheating and waiting until the control lamp goes out, because that lamp is completely there Just turn the key, start and go, because the glow plugs that briefly preheat the diesel mist when starting work so quickly with this diesel that the engine even comes to life in the freezing cold without a murmur.”
The Lancer as a ‘moving sound box’
Wrong frugality
What was less convincing was the economy of this diesel version. That while you would prefer it above a petrol version. A potential problem for the Lancer, no matter how convincing the rest was. We achieved an average consumption of 1 to 13.3 in the test period. We also found the Lancer as a whole very ‘effective’. It was spacious, you sat well in it and it did everything just about as you would expect, but it just missed a little something extra. We also found that power steering was an option of NLG 1,000 a disappointment.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl