2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, Ralliart Break Cover Early On Way To Paris

We knew to expect the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback and 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart to see an official reveal at the Paris Motor Show next week ever since we saw the Lancer Prototype-S in Geneva earlier this year. It looks like we don't even need to go to the French capital, as a bevy of shots of the two new Lancer sportbacks have broken free of the confines of their embargoes to show us what we'll see live next week.
We're told to expect two versions of the five-door hatchback to be launched initially in Europe. The base Lancer Sportback will be powered by a choice of 1.5- and 1.8-liter gasoline engines, or a 2.0-liter turbodiesel. The base model will send power to the front wheels, but the Ralliart version will get the all-wheel-drive system from the Evo IX, the new dual-clutch gearbox and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-banger rated at 235 HP and 253 lb-ft of torque. Expect to see the sportback's hit European showrooms starting this fall, and we're even hearing we'll be seeing the Sportback bringing sexyback stateside. After driving the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, we can conclusively say the thought of a bit more storage thanks to a bit bigger of a rear end makes us happy as can be. [via NetCarShow]