Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback vs SEAT Leon

If anyone should be able to build a sporty family hatchback for the masses, it’s the chassis boffins at Mitsubishi. The Japanese manufacturer is famed for its all-wheel-drive racer for the road, the Lancer Evolution.

But it has never produced a five-door compact family model for the man in the street – until now! While the all-new Lancer Sportback shares the aggressive nose of its high-octane cousin, it does without the extreme performance, hefty running costs and impractical four-door body.

To see if it can survive in one of the most competitive segments of the market, we pitch the entry-level 1.8-litre GS2 against a sporty European model with a healthy dose of Latin flair. At £13,701, the Mitsubishi has price on its side – but the SEAT Leon still provides stiff competition. And to give it even more appeal, it’s now available with VW’s excellent 1.4-litre TSI turbo engine.

Predictably, the Lancer enjoys a power advantage, but performance is only part of the story. For once, the Mitsubishi is the only car in an Auto Express road test without a turbo boost. The question is whether that’s a help or hindrance.