2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback – Official Photos and Info

The concept of positive reinforcement—when at first you succeed, do it some more—is not lost on Mitsubishi Motors. Hence, the company is poised to unveil a five-door variant of its handsome and successful entry-level model, the Lancer, to be called the Lancer Sportback, at the 2008 Paris auto show this fall. To help pass the time until September, Mitsubishi has released some advanced information and photos, which we in turn pass on to you.

If this looks familiar, it’s because the very first new-gen Lancer concept car, at the 2005 Frankfurt auto show, was a sexy slantback. And, more recently, at the 2008 Geneva auto show in March, the Sportback was previewed in the form of the Prototype S concept.

The Prototype S also previewed the upcoming Ralliart powertrain, equipped as it was with a zesty, 235-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and four-wheel drive. The Ralliart sedan goes on sale in September.

No Decision Yet, But It’s a Given

Both the base Lancer Sportback and a Sportback Ralliart edition have been confirmed for production globally. Technically, Mitsubishi hasn’t announced it will sell the Sportback in the U.S—a spokesman says that decision won’t be made until September at the earliest. But he did say that “with market focus going toward compacts, it’s a pretty wise bet,” for an introduction within 18 months and that there are no safety-related or regulatory hoops for the Sportback to jump through. If the concept of positive reinforcement has global applications, we expect the U.S. arm of the company will get a memo soon, if they haven’t already.

No Surprises, No Sportback Evo

Other than a more versatile bodystyle with a hatchback and a huge, shelf-like rear spoiler, the Sportback offers few surprises. Both standard and Ralliart models feature most of the same styling elements as their sedan counterparts, both of which are based on the narrower, non-Evo Lancer bodies but with trim-specific grillework, skirts, and wheels.

What about a wide-body Evo Sportback with flared fenders and huge wheels to kick some family-car fanny alongside the Subaru WRX STI? “There will never be an Evo version of the Sportback,” the spokesman tells Car and Driver. The idea was kicked around during the concept phase, but it was snuffed out early, he says. Obviously, we had no say in the matter.