2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Up Close
I was a bit surprised to learn Mitsubishi was showing off the upcoming hatchback version of its Lancer at the 2009 Chicago auto show. Being a fan of all things with a hatch, I quickly hit the down escalator to the company’s booth and got an up-close look.
First, the Sportback is kind of awkward-looking in person. The back reminds me of a smaller Toyota Venza, which is also awkwardly shaped. From the side, though, the sloping profile is pretty sweet.
There’s one problem:
The radical drop-off means there isn’t a ton of cargo room in the hatch. Mitsubishi says it's 52.7 cubic feet with the rear seats down, which is more than the Subaru Impreza (44.4 cubic feet) or Mazda3 (43.8). Taking a close look here, the Lancer doesn't look as spacious or as usable as those two. The cargo floor is nice and flat, and in a recent test of the Lancer sedan I did notice a lot of rear headroom, so perhaps that helps with the total number. But I don’t see the Lancer as a practical choice over the other two unless you want the power of the uplevel Ralliart trim.
The rest of the interior is borrowed from a 2009 Lancer. Mitsubishi says the 2010 models will get a cosmetic upgrade that wasn’t included in this show car.
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How usable is the space with those exposed speakers in the trunk area?
Make a vehicle with a hatch now place and expensive part in the open so whatever I store in the space can destroy it.
That sub will probably be covered in the production model. It would stupid not to and make the car useless for people with dogs, or luggage for that matter.
no, that's how Subs look in production cars. It is built in and has a pretty sturdy metal cover on it, but yeah a big piece of furniture or something could dent it. I definitely don't think there's a lot room for a dog back there no.