After years of denying Canadians the joy of one of the quickest and sharpest handling vehicles in North America -- and the object of lust for legions of Gran Turismo fans across the country -- Mitsubishi Motors officials in the United States say the next-generation version of the Lancer Evo will be sold in Canada.
While the thought of a $40,000-or-so hopped-up Lancer might not seem like a great deal to those looking at base Lancer prices closer to 20 large, when you consider that it'll stay with -- if not outrun -- a Porsche 911 Turbo convertible that costs $200,000, it very well could become the greatest performance bargain on the market.
Unfortunately, Canada still won't receive the blazingly quick Lancer Evolution IX for the 2006 model year. The Evolution IX puts out 286 hp and a tire-frying 289 lb-ft of torque to all four of its W-rated tires.
Blame the Evo's absence on Canadian bumper standards that mandate zero damage with an eight km/h hit. Some intercooler plumbing that sits just behind the bumper currently prevents this, but officials insist the new Lancer on the engineering table now will conform to the bumper regulation.
Subaru continues to laugh while its Impreza WRX and STi monopolize the rally replicar market in Canada, if you don't count Mitsu's lightly enhanced Lancer Ralliart.
The redone Evo X will be available in the United States in 2007, and unless Mitsubishi officials in Japan decide to stagger the introduction, as happened with the Raider pickup, Mitsu's halo car will likely be available then in Canada.
Big brother offering
insurance discount
Insurance company Aviva Traders has launched a new way to receive discounted car insurance, although it involves providing the firm with an electronic record of exactly when and how you drive.
The Autograph program, the first of its kind in Canada, offers participants discounted insurance for relaying information to the company about parameters that include hard braking or acceleration, top speed, average speed, distance and time of day travelled.
It works like this: The company sends you a device that plugs into your 1996 or newer vehicle. You drive as you normally would for six months and then download the info on to your home computer to calculate your discount. It's then up to you to decide whether to send the information to the company.
Aviva offers a minimum 5 per cent discount for six months to everyone who sends their information, with the potential to save up to 25 per cent on their premiums if they're found to be low-risk drivers.
"Insurance consumers have been asking for more ways to directly influence and lower their auto premiums," said Igal Mayer, president and CEO of Aviva Canada Inc. "Autograph is an easy way for drivers to take control of their auto insurance premiums by demonstrating safe driving habits."
It's not exactly pay as you go coverage, but it does offer potential savings to people who drive relatively few kilometres, like urbanites who use transit to get to and from work or young drivers whose access to the family vehicle is limited yet expensive to insure. Company executives insist that the program will not be used to raise rates and the information provided will be sent securely over the Internet and kept strictly confidential.
Those who enlisted with the program at the beginning of March will be eligible to send in their information in September, so it will be interesting to see what proportion of people who received the devices actually return their info. It will also be enlightening to see what happens to their rates, as well as the rates of those who don't return them.
New models
from Jeep
Jeep has given media members a sneak peek at two new concepts to be unveiled next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The company confirmed that both the Jeep Patriot and the Jeep Compass are destined for production by next year, to be built on the same platform as the Dodge Caliber.
This means the vehicles will be smaller than the Liberty, but a touch larger than the TJ. Despite their larger size and four-door body styles, both will be entry-level products, undercutting the price of the two-door TJ.
The Patriot is the visually conservative one that will appeal to Jeep traditionalists, with square angles all around, big vertical slat grille and round headlights, plus lots of ground clearance and off-road ability. The Compass Rallye concept, which will lose the Rallye designation when it makes it to production, looks like a Liberty slammed for night racing.
The Compass incorporates radical cues for Jeep, including a steeply sloping windshield, the roof that tapers towards the rear, the new rear spoiler and chrome exhaust tips.
Company officials say the Compass will attract new buyers, who are turned off by the usual boxy styling of Jeeps. This is perhaps best exemplified by the ground-hugging lower body sills, a feature never before seen on a Jeep concept, since they hurt ground clearance that off-road enthusiasts crave.
Meanwhile, Chrysler group senior vice-president of design Trevor Creed said last week that a new Jeep TJ (Wrangler in the United States) is on its way, rebutting early speculation that it would be replaced in the lineup by the Patriot coming next year, but didn't specify when.
"We will renew Wrangler, because we can make it even more impressive off-road," Creed said. He gave no hints as to its styling direction, but did note that he has already worked on two restyles of the venerable off-road favourite.
The new TJ, which may also receive one name again for all of North America, will offer trail-busting equipment as standard that serious mud hunters are now buying as aftermarket accessories.
"We will be accommodating to all of the stuff the hardcore guys do with the stock Jeep," Creed said, making it easier for them to add larger tires and lift kits.
