IT must be tough growing up in the shadow of a glamorous brother. Just ask Eric Roberts about his sister Julia, or Luke Wilson what he thinks about brother Owen.

In the automotive world, the Mitsubishi Lancer has always had to contend with the rallybred Evo, which gained a fearsome reputation as the car to beat in the world rally championship.

The old Lancer always used to be the Evo’s maiden aunt but this time Mitsubishi designers have used the sports version’s butch looks to give the standard model a much-needed visual lift.

According to Mitsubishi the new nose is based on that of a jet fighter. It even produced a nifty video in which a fighter plane morphed into a Lancer.

The jet-fighter grille looks great on the Evo – and it does the same trick for the Sportback, too.

In fact, looking at the Mitsubishi it’s hard not to think of the Subaru Impreza, its most deadly Japanese rival.

Whereas the standard Lancer has matured nicely into a very smart piece of kit on its own right, the Impreza has grown more ugly with every successive generation.

The current Impreza has thrown away everything that made its high-powered versions cult cars among UK enthusiasts.

In fat, it just looks like any other Euro-style hatchback these days.

At least the Lancer still has its own identity.

Granted, the styling exercise isn’t so successful at the back.

The hatchback may be more practical than a saloon, but the bulbous rear door, which drops away rather abruptly, is at odds with the shark-snout up front.

The pay off is a boot that starts out at 280 litres and effortlessly transforms into a 1,394-litre cavern with a swift pull of a lever.

The rear seats drop forward and fold flat to create a really versatile platform, perfect for carrying large loads.

The wide-opening tailgate also makes access a cinch – a saloon would always be at a disadvantage here, with its narrow slot of an opening – and the rear seats three adults at a pinch.

Like so many cars these days, the Lancer has grown steadily during each evolutionary upgrade.

The Sportback now inhabits a part of the market once the preserve of the Rover 400 – larger than a Focus but smaller than a Mondeo.

In fact, these days the Lancer has the same footprint as a Mercedes C-Class so it’s no longer really a medium-sized car.

A modest family (mum, dad and two kids under 13) would find the Sportback plenty big enough, even for a long trip.

Inside it’s much the same as a Lancer saloon, which is to say that the cabin is very well screwed together (and likely to stay that way) but the materials let it down somewhat.

You won’t find any squashy plastics, just hard stuff with a grain, and the switchgear has that peculiarly flimsy feel that so many Japanese cars have – but they still never go wrong or break.

That said, I reckon the bloke who spec’d the Golf’s interior won’t be having sleepless nights.

It’s clean and efficient, the instruments are simple and straightforward, there’s an LCD information panel between the clocks and everything is where you’d expect it to be, but there is no sense of occasion about driving a Lancer. It does the job, and does it well, but that’s it.

The drive is smooth and the handling well balanced, something you’d expect of a car related to a World Championshipwinning rally car. The Lancer doesn’t have the Impreza’s fourwheel drive but in most situations it doesn’t need it.

I was a bit disappointed by the steering, which is over-assisted at speed and feels far too inert, but this won’t bother the majority of Lancer owners who, for all Mitsubishi’s hopes of attracting a younger demographic with this version, are still likely to be pushing 60.

The 2.0-litre diesel is a boughtin unit from Volkswagen because the market for oil-burners in Japan is still in its infancy.

It’s quite pokey, with a healthy dollop of mid-range torque to make life interesting if you fancy indulging those Tommi Makkinen fantasies (although you’d be better off saving your pennies for the Evo if you want to do that regularly).

Mind you, Tommi’s cruise missile of a company car couldn’t do more than 40mpg around town and I’ll bet it emitted more than 165g/km of carbon dioxide.

The gearchange is typically Japanese: short and simple, slicing across the gate like a hot knife through butter. Think and you’ve changed ratios – even the most clumsy drivers can’t make a mess of it.

In GS2 trim the Sportback diesel starts at a shade over £15,000. The GS4 tested costs £18,649 and for that you get plenty of toys to fiddle with.

That makes the Lancer quite a bit cheaper than the diesel version of the Ford Focus. The Focus may offer a more focused driving experience but I guarantee the Lancer will be worth more when you want to sell it.

Crucially, it also makes the Mitsubishi cheaper than the equivalent Impreza. It may lack all-wheel drive but it’s every bit as well made and looks far nicer.

It may still be in the Evo’s shadow but this new Lancer can hold its own against key rivals in the Astra/Focus/Golf class.

Specification

Price from: £18,649
Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel
Max power: 138bhp @ 4,000rpm
Max torque: 228lb/ft @ 1,750rpm
Max speed: 129mph
0-62mph: 9.7 seconds
Combined fuel economy: 44.8mpg
CO2 emissions: 165g/km
Equipment: Fuel computer, electric windows front and back, alloy wheels with low profile tyres, central locking, radio/CD player.