The Mitsubishi Lancer hasn’t been in the brand’s global for years. Officially, it was discontinued in 2017 with no successor in sight. But over in Taiwan, the compact sedan hung on and even received several facelifts.
But even then, Mitsubishi Motors Taiwan knew they can’t build it forever. This year marks an end of an era for the company as the very last Lancer, in this case called the Grand Lancer, has rolled off the assembly line.
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Its end of production officially marks the end of the Mitsubishi Lancer bloodline. Mitsubishi Motors Taiwan managed to stretch its run for another seven years. Despite its age, the Grand Lancer was still a decent seller over there. However, it’s admittedly difficult to justify continuing it as Taiwan is, or rather, was, the only country that sold this model.
Prior to its discontinuation, the Grand Lancer received a major facelift in 2017 with small improvements along the way. It adapted the then current design language and even went as far as getting new sheetmetal at the front and rear. There was also a major interior overhaul that saw a totally redesigned dashboard, along with the addition of a few advanced driver assist systems.
Under the hood is a 1.8-liter engine that’s good for 138hp and 175Nm of torque. The sole transmission choice was a CVT.
With that, 2024 marks the final year of the ninth-generation Lancer, a model that was first launched in 2007. It was a solid 15-year run, but all things must come to an end. But it seems that Mitsubishi won’t be keeping this name dormant for long. Recent reports have suggested that it could return as a crossover EV within the decade, serving as the Mitsubishi-badged cousin of the next-gen Leaf.
