These are the first images of the hot hatch version of the Mitsubishi Lancer, the car it hopes will steal sales from the Impreza WRX when it goes on sale in Britain later this year.To be officially unveiled at the Geneva show in March, the Lancer Prototype-S blends a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 237bhp (10bhp up on the Impreza), the same SST twin-clutch gearbox as the Evo X and a full-time four-wheel drive system. The car's front-end styling is pure Evo X, but the rear features a rakish tailgate that makes it more hatchback than pure estate car.Mitsubishi expects the Lancer hatchback to account for 80 per cent of the model's sales in the UK when it reaches showrooms in the autumn. But if you're thinking of rushing down to your local Mitsubishi dealer to put down money on a hatchback Evo, don't; the hottest Lancer will continue to be available in saloon only.
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