New Lancer Launch for Australia this week!
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I think the black grill makes it look a million times better.
No offence, but I think the yellow with chrome grill looks very very tacky.
After looking at that picture closely, the Cedia Sports does get Fog Lights like the VR-X.
The interior shown in the above pictures.... is that what the OZ Rally is like inside? Cause I would love to know what the VR-X will look like?
No offence, but I think the yellow with chrome grill looks very very tacky.
After looking at that picture closely, the Cedia Sports does get Fog Lights like the VR-X.
The interior shown in the above pictures.... is that what the OZ Rally is like inside? Cause I would love to know what the VR-X will look like?
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After some closer observation, and speaking to Mitsubishi Australia I was about to find out a few things!
The Asia/Australia models do not have the chrome grill on the VR-X or sports model like ive said earlier. It will only be on the LS and Exceed unlike US OZ-Rally which has it on all models.
Not sure if the OZ-Rally has this, but I was told that the steering wheel, gear shifter and hand brake in the VR-X come leather wrapped. The 00/01 Lancer VR-X did not have this.
Finnaly found a shot of the interior of the OZ-Rally.. wonder if the VR-X will be the same. Mitsubishi told me its inbetween velour and a harder wearing fabrick and will be black.
Found a picture of that great looking grill too, this time its on a car and its good quality. Ill definatley be ordering one of these with the new lancer.
They told me itll be here in 7 days!... cant wait.
The Asia/Australia models do not have the chrome grill on the VR-X or sports model like ive said earlier. It will only be on the LS and Exceed unlike US OZ-Rally which has it on all models.
Not sure if the OZ-Rally has this, but I was told that the steering wheel, gear shifter and hand brake in the VR-X come leather wrapped. The 00/01 Lancer VR-X did not have this.
Finnaly found a shot of the interior of the OZ-Rally.. wonder if the VR-X will be the same. Mitsubishi told me its inbetween velour and a harder wearing fabrick and will be black.
Found a picture of that great looking grill too, this time its on a car and its good quality. Ill definatley be ordering one of these with the new lancer.
They told me itll be here in 7 days!... cant wait.
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Ok, here we go....
I warn you, this will be long.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to find a dealer in Sydney who has the NEW LANCER in stock, but not on the lot yet. The salesman took me out back to show me this great great car!
Sutherland Mitsubishi in Sydney has all the promotional Lancers that were used for media reviews etc over this past week.
I saw a white LS (base model), a cherry red Exceed (luxury model) and my faviourite, the Black VR-X.
Where do I start...
The Australian standard VR-X has totally different bumpers to the LS and Exceed models. The US spec OZ-Rally has the same bumpers as our LS and Exceed.
Below is an example of the US spec Lancer rear bumper which is the same as our LS and Exceed models.
For some reason, (which im glad about) the VR-X in Australia has a bumper which is about 2 inches shorter then that. It honestly looks alot better then the entended bumpers which are on our base model, top model and your OZ-Rally.
The extended bumper looks like a park bench!
As for the front, it too is different, not much though. It actually looks as if it is flat on the front rather then angled. The Australian VR-X also has an extended front dam which sits on the bottom of this bumper and Fog Lights.
One thing that's been noted before, is that none of our Australian models have the orange indicator on the side of the front bumper like the US spec OZ-Rally. We have an indicator which sits half way up the door on the front quater panel instead. It is also a clear indicator rather then orange.
Our wheels are very different to the OZ-Rally. They are mitsubishi wheels from the factory, not OZ Racing. Personally I dont like the OZ wheels or the ones Mitsubishi Australia has put on our VR-X. Needs 17" + at least too fit the guards well.
As also noted before, the front grill on the VR-X in Australia is not chrome, but colour coded instead. I also think this looks alot better then the chrome grill that the OZ-Rally is unfortunate to have.
It would appear that based on the grill and bumpers that ive seen from both cars, that the OZ-Rally uses the front and rear from the standard models, not its own different style like the Australian spec.
There are supposed to be some changes to the 03 model for the OZ-Rally in the states, maybe they will implement these changes. Remember, the car has been out in the states alot longer then we have had it here. Its probably due for a facelift which will incorporate these differences.
I spent a long time having a look over the interior of this car, and I quite like it. Very different to the outgoing model which is an isnt a good thing. The great thing about the VR-X, both the new model and outgoing, is that its totally black with some silver highlights. There is nothing worse then grey dashboard and seating!
In the new model the interior seating is done in velour, with sporty hardwearing inserts. I actually like the styling in the interior of the outgoing model even though it wasnt velour. It just looked more sporty.
I cant explain how much I love the leather steering wheel, gear shift and handbrake which are not in the outgoing model. This coupled with the newer interior styling and seating makes for a much more comfortable ride.
I drove the car for about 20 minutes and I really liked it. The fact that it is brand new, and not worn in would have had some effect on the performance of the vehicle. (believe me, I tested it.. hehe) But overall, the power increase if definatley noticable.
It accelerates much the same as the outgoing model which is the 1.8, but seems to have a better performance hit from 50-80km/h, which is where the Lancer previously suffered.
My overall impression, im quite impressed. Although the car does looks a little too much like a toy rather then a real car, if that makes sense. It lacks the rough look of the 97-02 model which I still drive.
Would I buy one?... well ill give it another week, another test drive and ill make a decision.
Im currently trying to make a decision between this new Lancer, the Astra SRi (2.2 litre) and a Peugeot 206 GTI.
The Astra and Peugeot were in a higher price bracket to the outgoing Lancer, but the new model is up there also, but does include many many more extras such as ABS and airbags which were not available.
The Astra is in HIGH demand and will have a much better resale value. I just dont really like the interior as much as the lancer. So its a hard decision. The styling of the Astra is great though!.
Well, happy reading. hehe
I warn you, this will be long.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to find a dealer in Sydney who has the NEW LANCER in stock, but not on the lot yet. The salesman took me out back to show me this great great car!
Sutherland Mitsubishi in Sydney has all the promotional Lancers that were used for media reviews etc over this past week.
I saw a white LS (base model), a cherry red Exceed (luxury model) and my faviourite, the Black VR-X.
Where do I start...
The Australian standard VR-X has totally different bumpers to the LS and Exceed models. The US spec OZ-Rally has the same bumpers as our LS and Exceed.
Below is an example of the US spec Lancer rear bumper which is the same as our LS and Exceed models.
For some reason, (which im glad about) the VR-X in Australia has a bumper which is about 2 inches shorter then that. It honestly looks alot better then the entended bumpers which are on our base model, top model and your OZ-Rally.
The extended bumper looks like a park bench!
As for the front, it too is different, not much though. It actually looks as if it is flat on the front rather then angled. The Australian VR-X also has an extended front dam which sits on the bottom of this bumper and Fog Lights.
One thing that's been noted before, is that none of our Australian models have the orange indicator on the side of the front bumper like the US spec OZ-Rally. We have an indicator which sits half way up the door on the front quater panel instead. It is also a clear indicator rather then orange.
Our wheels are very different to the OZ-Rally. They are mitsubishi wheels from the factory, not OZ Racing. Personally I dont like the OZ wheels or the ones Mitsubishi Australia has put on our VR-X. Needs 17" + at least too fit the guards well.
As also noted before, the front grill on the VR-X in Australia is not chrome, but colour coded instead. I also think this looks alot better then the chrome grill that the OZ-Rally is unfortunate to have.
It would appear that based on the grill and bumpers that ive seen from both cars, that the OZ-Rally uses the front and rear from the standard models, not its own different style like the Australian spec.
There are supposed to be some changes to the 03 model for the OZ-Rally in the states, maybe they will implement these changes. Remember, the car has been out in the states alot longer then we have had it here. Its probably due for a facelift which will incorporate these differences.
I spent a long time having a look over the interior of this car, and I quite like it. Very different to the outgoing model which is an isnt a good thing. The great thing about the VR-X, both the new model and outgoing, is that its totally black with some silver highlights. There is nothing worse then grey dashboard and seating!
In the new model the interior seating is done in velour, with sporty hardwearing inserts. I actually like the styling in the interior of the outgoing model even though it wasnt velour. It just looked more sporty.
I cant explain how much I love the leather steering wheel, gear shift and handbrake which are not in the outgoing model. This coupled with the newer interior styling and seating makes for a much more comfortable ride.
I drove the car for about 20 minutes and I really liked it. The fact that it is brand new, and not worn in would have had some effect on the performance of the vehicle. (believe me, I tested it.. hehe) But overall, the power increase if definatley noticable.
It accelerates much the same as the outgoing model which is the 1.8, but seems to have a better performance hit from 50-80km/h, which is where the Lancer previously suffered.
My overall impression, im quite impressed. Although the car does looks a little too much like a toy rather then a real car, if that makes sense. It lacks the rough look of the 97-02 model which I still drive.
Would I buy one?... well ill give it another week, another test drive and ill make a decision.
Im currently trying to make a decision between this new Lancer, the Astra SRi (2.2 litre) and a Peugeot 206 GTI.
The Astra and Peugeot were in a higher price bracket to the outgoing Lancer, but the new model is up there also, but does include many many more extras such as ABS and airbags which were not available.
The Astra is in HIGH demand and will have a much better resale value. I just dont really like the interior as much as the lancer. So its a hard decision. The styling of the Astra is great though!.
Well, happy reading. hehe
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From: Australia WA
Hey Elisix,
Just curious...have you thought about taking your $26k and purchasing a second-hand Skyline, Supra or Lancer GSR-Turbo?
I'm guessing because you're not into the "speed" thing like I am(?)
Just curious...have you thought about taking your $26k and purchasing a second-hand Skyline, Supra or Lancer GSR-Turbo?
I'm guessing because you're not into the "speed" thing like I am(?)
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Yeah ive thought about it many times...
Im 20 years old... Studying full time to be a Police Officer
Last thing I need is something I 'know' I will be irresponsible in.
Not to mention the insurance hassles.
In march next year I get my 60% no claim bonus, which will make a massive difference to my premiums.
Ive also got my heart set on an 03 BMW 325Ci Coupe, which im planning on buying next year. So I still want to save money while owning a new car for the next year or so. Ive managed to save over $20k to put towards it.
Ill be financing this new car, and dont want the hassles of a second hand car with problems to eat into my savings.
Its basically just an update to tide me over for the next year till I finish studying.
Ive thought about just keeping my current VR-X untill then, but now is a good time here in Australia to get the most for it, resale wise. Especially since the new model is coming out this week!
I will lease the new Lancer through my own business that I run, so I wont lose money on it by keeping it for only one year, thank god.
Im 20 years old... Studying full time to be a Police Officer
Last thing I need is something I 'know' I will be irresponsible in.
Not to mention the insurance hassles.
In march next year I get my 60% no claim bonus, which will make a massive difference to my premiums.
Ive also got my heart set on an 03 BMW 325Ci Coupe, which im planning on buying next year. So I still want to save money while owning a new car for the next year or so. Ive managed to save over $20k to put towards it.
Ill be financing this new car, and dont want the hassles of a second hand car with problems to eat into my savings.
Its basically just an update to tide me over for the next year till I finish studying.
Ive thought about just keeping my current VR-X untill then, but now is a good time here in Australia to get the most for it, resale wise. Especially since the new model is coming out this week!
I will lease the new Lancer through my own business that I run, so I wont lose money on it by keeping it for only one year, thank god.
Last edited by elisiX; Jul 21, 2002 at 10:01 AM.
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Common insurance in Australia works off how many years you have been insured for.
ie: Had a licence for 4 years, but only had insurance on a vehicle for 2. In this case, you NCB No claim bonus will be 30%, regardless of how many years you have been driving for.
It works like this.
1 year insured - 20%
2 years insured - 30%
3 years insured - 40%
4 years insured - 50%
5 years insured - 60% Maximum.
Last year NRMA (Australia's largest Insurer) changed thier policies.
ie: Had a licence for 5 years without accident, you get 60% NCB.
They work like this.
1 year driving - 20%
2 years driving - 30%
3 years driving - 40%
4 years driving - 40%
5 years driving - 60% Maximum.
Get what im saying?
Ive been driving for 4 years, since I was 16, and im 20 now. But ive only had insurance on my car for 1 year. So most companies will give me 20%, NRMA gives me 40% now! And once im 21 (5 years driving) I get my full 60% for life!
hehe
ie: Had a licence for 4 years, but only had insurance on a vehicle for 2. In this case, you NCB No claim bonus will be 30%, regardless of how many years you have been driving for.
It works like this.
1 year insured - 20%
2 years insured - 30%
3 years insured - 40%
4 years insured - 50%
5 years insured - 60% Maximum.
Last year NRMA (Australia's largest Insurer) changed thier policies.
ie: Had a licence for 5 years without accident, you get 60% NCB.
They work like this.
1 year driving - 20%
2 years driving - 30%
3 years driving - 40%
4 years driving - 40%
5 years driving - 60% Maximum.
Get what im saying?
Ive been driving for 4 years, since I was 16, and im 20 now. But ive only had insurance on my car for 1 year. So most companies will give me 20%, NRMA gives me 40% now! And once im 21 (5 years driving) I get my full 60% for life!
hehe
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On another note, went for another test drive today in the new Lancer.
Im actually pretty dissapointed after spending some more time driving.
The performance is a great improvement, the feel of the car is awesome and so is the gear shifting!.. but the seating position is WAY too high.
I tried lowering the seats but it didnt do anything, they were already at the lowest point.
Im almost sorry to say that I think this is the one thing that will stop me from getting into a new Lancer.
Im actually pretty dissapointed after spending some more time driving.
The performance is a great improvement, the feel of the car is awesome and so is the gear shifting!.. but the seating position is WAY too high.
I tried lowering the seats but it didnt do anything, they were already at the lowest point.
Im almost sorry to say that I think this is the one thing that will stop me from getting into a new Lancer.
