If you only spied the rear half of the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback you�??d probably think you were taking in the hindquarters of a harmless enough family sport hatch.
But you�??d be missing a few crucial details.
Firstly, there are the threatening twin exhaust tips and protruding roof-mounted spoiler. Most notable of all is the tiny Ralliart badge that sits in the right-hand corner of the tailgate �?" a telltale symbol of car�??s promised potential.
Not so subtle is the Ralliart�??s front end, which is all business with its lightweight bonnet that closely mimics that of the more famous Lancer Evolution and comes complete with signature air-scoops feeding the Ralliart�??s turbocharger.
And while it may be getting on a little now (having launched in 2008), the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart still holds a unique place in the Lancer stable, bridging the gap between their runabouts and the hardcore Evolution model.
It�??s also $12,000 cheaper, so what you get for your $44,990 is essentially a cut-price Lancer Evolution X with an accompanying cut in power, thrills and focus.
That�??s not to say that the Ralliart doesn�??t come with sufficient firepower to put it in hot hatch contention.
Its best asset is the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the �??Evo�??, only detuned to deliver 177kW/343Nm (down from 217kW/366Nm) �?" enough to get the Lancer Ralliart from 0-100km/h in a tidy 6.3 seconds (claimed).
It�??s a punchy and capable powertrain, made even better when bolted to Mitsubishi�??s tricky six-speed �??SST�?? twin-clutch transmission �?" standard fit on the Ralliart Lancers.
Driven in �??normal�?� mode it lacks a certain response. It�??s not slow �?" just not as manic as you might have expected from a car with a decent dose of Evo DNA in its makeup.
But that�??s also what makes this high-performance Lancer so liveable as a daily driver against the full-strength Evolution models.
Flick the switch to �??sport�?� and the Ralliart shifts from sporty Lancer to a fully fledged hot hatch with ample amounts of poke. The highlight is the hugely enjoyable throttle blipping downshifts, without the need to so much as lift a fingeroff the steering wheel.
Taking full control of your Lancer Ralliart with its race-inspired, steering column-mounted magnesium paddleshifters is more fun still, especially if you should come across a solitary country road.
Word of warning though; the Ralliart can be exceptionally thirsty when pushed hard. Official Mitsubishi fuel consumption is rated at 9.8L/100km for the Sportback (9.6L/100km for the sedan), but we never saw lower than 11.8L/100km and heavy throttle sessions were as high as 20.6L/100km.
But this is also where the Evo lineage ends abruptly and problems arise. The Ralliart�??s brakes, suspension, steering, wheels and tyres are all carried over from the significantly more humble Mitsubishi Lancer VRX.
There might be loads of grip �?" but push on and you�??ll soon discover a chassis that can�??t quite cope with the extra power of the 2.0-litre turbo engine and Mitsubishi�??s highly effective All Wheel Control system (AWC).
While the suspension handles chopped-up roads better than most, it�??s too soft for serious driving. There�??s noticeable body roll on corner entry, a tendency to understeer and the rear end can become unsettled at the limit.
The steering, too, is neither quick enough nor sharp enough to match the car�??s outright pace and consequently dulls the overall driving experience.
The same scenario applies to the so-called sports seats.
They�??re certainly comfortable, but there�??s nowhere near enough side bolstering to hold you steadfast during more enthusiastic cornering.
The two-pot brakes also felt spongy from the get-go.
Commensurate with a cut price Evo is the Ralliart�??s lacklustre interior.
The entire dash is made using an assortment of hard-to-touch plastics. It�??s not until you reach the door trims that you find the first hint of any softer materials.
There�??s an attempt to offset the various shades of plastics with a liberal spattering of glossy piano black across the fascia, front door trims (rear doors don�??t get this touch) and centre console, as well as a few matted silver accents, but it still isn�??t a match for the Ralliart�??s hefty price tag.
In fact, price is likely to be the Ralliart�??s real Achilles Heel. It may be cheaper than an Evo, but that doesn�??t mean the Ralliart is a bargain, either. It�??s harder on the pocket than several high-profile rivals such as the $39,490 Mazda 3 MPS, $40,490 Volkswagen Golf GTI and even the $43,990 Subaru WRX Premium.
Thankfully, the value proposition increases a little when you take in the Ralliart�??s host of standard features, such as keyless entry and start, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, Bluetooth phone and music streaming with voice recognition, and alloy sports pedals.
Additional creature comforts include a nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system, electrically operated door mirrors with automatic power-fold function, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
However, if you want satellite navigation you�??ll need to tick the optional luxury pack ($3895) that adds a 7-inch touchscreen with voice activated Bluetooth and navigation control, leather seats with front heaters, power driver�??s seat and HID headlamps.
With its large truncated rear-end looking like it might be able to swallow the contents of an entire two-bedroom unit, the Lancer Ralliart Sportback gets a surprisingly small boot area (288 litres) �?" at least with the rear seats in place. Fold them almost flat (via remote levers in the boot) and the load space quadruples.
There�??s plenty of passenger space in the cabin too, with generous amounts of rear legroom for comfortable travel during longer trips.
Safety is well catered for, with the Lancer Ralliart scoring a five-star ANCAP safety rating. Lifesaving inventory includes seven airbags and all the usual active and passive safety kit on top of its full-time all-wheel drive and active centre differential systems.
There�??s a lot to like about the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback: a potent 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, sophisticated all-wheel drive system, fast-shifting twin-clutch transmission and a generous appointment of standard features.
However, the price tag is uncompetitive and that tiny Ralliart badge promises more than this car delivers with its soft-sprung suspension, slow steering and spongy brakes robbing it of its bona fide hot hatch status.
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