New Lancer may appear soon

New Lancer may appear soon

Mitsubishi has launched its new Lancer in Japan but Indonesian buyers will have to wait for some time before it becomes available.

According to Mitsubishi executives at the Tokyo Motor Show, where the car was unveiled, the new range will not be on sale in Jakarta for many months.

The current car has been a consistent seller in Indonesia.

The new Lancer range in Japan features a three-door hatch and sedan body, with a coupe and a five-door variant to appear in Japan early next year.

So far there is no sign of a wagon.

Suspension is carried over with struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear.

Body rigidity is reported to have been substantially upgraded to help improve ride and handling, while the car promises to be quieter as its noise vibration and harshness package has also been reworked.

Higher levels of passive safety are also claimed with a driver's side air bag standard across the range in Japan, with passenger air bags also on more upmarket models.

But those improved safety levels and upgraded equipment levels have pushed weight up with the base car in Japan tipping the scales at 980kg. The entry-level model of the old range weighs in at 900kg.

A five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic with INVECS-II intelligent gearshift system, including tiptronic, is also available.