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STYLING | 7 out of 10
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steeply raked hatchback that looks swept and sporty
Car and Driver
The cabin is rather plain. Apart from the dual instrument nacelles and the Recaros, it's not that sporty.
Edmunds
The expansive grille fills competitors' rear view mirrors, and is sure to send shivers down the hardiest soul as if about to be eaten by that shark.
Autobytel
The Ralliart has a larger mouth than the Lancer but a less radical style than the Evo
Cars.com
Essentially, both the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Ralliart look like tuner cars--like an economy car on steroids--much more than they look like exotic sports machines.
An up-close look will probably elicit shrugs from those who don't get their performance potential; the Ralliart especially is heavily based on the pedestrian Lancer sedan
On the outside, the look doesn't break out in any new directions, but its shark-like front-end styling makes it easy to spot and differentiate from a distance. There really isn't that much of a difference in appearance between the two models on the outside—with more aggressive wheels, a slightly different front fascia, and an added rear spoiler for the Evolution—even if the Evo has further structural differences and an aluminum roof. The Lancer Ralliart shares much of its look with the sporty Lancer GT, but it gets the Evolution's lightweight aluminum hood with integral ductwork to keep the turbo cool, along with an aggressively styled front bumper and dual exhaust.
A five-door Sportback version of the Ralliart was new last year; it's a rather conventional, swept-back hatchback in appearance, but it works just as well with the aggressive front end and it's just a matter of personal taste as to which one's better.
This performance sedan's basic roots show even more on the inside of the Ralliart, where trims and finishes really aren't any more extravagant than in the budget-priced Lancer. The Ralliart can be had as a sedan or Sportback (hatchback), but the Evo is only a sedan. While there's nothing very impressive from a design standpoint, there are no glaring deficiencies either; the instrument panel is straightforward and businesslike, while most of the interior appears as it is: a slightly dressed-up economy-car cabin. Upholstery, accents, trims, and the steering wheel have been upgraded, though.
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Conclusion
The 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart looks like a tuner car--or perhaps a little too boy-racerish to those not in the know.
