What a strange way to make a first impression.
At first glance, it was like someone in Mitsubishi's PR department made a mistake; there's no way they knowingly sent us such a basic version of their new Lancer. My tester, after all, was the entry-level DE model with just one option, an $1,800 package that bundles together ABS, air conditioning, power door locks and an auto-up function for the driver's window (power windows are standard in all Lancers). This is almost as good as it gets in this basic model: the only other option offered down here is a continuously variable (read: automatic) transmission.
But behind the plastic hubcaps on my tarmac black tester was a set of 16-inch wheels. That's a rarity in a basic compact (15-inchers are the norm), and the four-wheel disc brakes are a nice touch. These, and the standard side and head curtain airbags, can be had elsewhere, but kudos to Mitsubishi for not making them expensive extras (why should safety cost more money?). There's even a driver's knee airbag here, a first for Mitsubishi and not that common in small cars.
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