Just got a phone call from my local dealer, the new 09 Lancer Ralliart Sportback will arrive in a month.
The dealers are getting briefing for the next few days.
Hope the price will be lower than the current 4dr ralliart

 

Probably will be a slight bit more. That is the trend with hatches.

 

Awesome. Hopefully that's the same as the release time here in the states.

 

i know.....i only wish they could make sunroof standard on the sportback.
that way i dont have to buy the premium package just to have sunroof

 

the sportback kinda reminds me of the Subaru Tribeca, the back atleast.

 

Not a compliment.

 

didn't say i was a fan. I like the sedan a lot better. Maybe its a bit biased, but i'm not a huge fan of the shape in general

 

It's kinda uglyish but so is the wrx hatch-I won't write it off till I see it in person, BUT it will make loading a dog, drums, kids toys etc a LOT easier than the sedan.

 

I like the sportback a little bit more than 4dr cus it will have a larger trunk space
the 4dr trunk space is really really small @@

 

Trunk space is truncated?...

That Evo IX AWD system must really eat into the back of the RA.

 

If they are really trying to make a sale, dealers will always lie about when models will arrive to keep you on the hook. There's an official press release at the bottom of this Autoblog article which say it'll be in the US this summer: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/30/o...ck-on-sale-in/. Usually this means it will be here in early fall. But Car Connection says Mitsu is bringing it as an early 2010 hoping to have a big hit with people wanting to move to a smaller SUV-style vehicle: http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/ma...ncer-sportback. So maybe they will actually get it on US lots by late summer and in Canada a month or two earlier.

Anyway, I'll be surprised if the RA Sportback is on US lots in less than 6 months and in Canada in less than 4 months. Of course, you'll be able to order one 2-3 months before that.

 

Yep. The RA's trunk is much smaller than the regular lancers.


Here's specifics:

Regular lancers cargo room - 12.3 cu. ft.
09 Ralliart cargo room - 10.0 cu. ft.

 

Now if they'd only add a 5 or 6 speed MT option, I'd be all over it once my GSR Lease is up.

 

I know. If they were the same, I'd be driving an RA right now. The difference doesn't look like much on paper, but in real life...

 

Yep. Definitely noticed the difference in trunk space when trading in the 08 for the RA.