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-Palm Springs, California

We're fresh from the driver's seat of the newest addition to the Lancer Evo fast family, the mildly more grown up MR Touring model. Mitsubishi has got a lot happening at its event in Palm Springs, California this afternoon (stay tuned for much more from this desert trip in coming days), but we felt we'd be remiss if we didn't check in with a few quick thoughts about the new Evo.

CLICK HERE to continue reading this review.

We sort of knew that this was coming. At this year's New York Auto Show, Mitsubishi showed off their Outlander GT Prototype, an Evo-infused version of the trusty Outlander crossover boasting a very familiar nose. And while this hasn't been completely confirmed for the United States, the facelifted 2010 Outlander has just recently been confirmed for the Australian market, meaning that we're pretty sure it'll be coming to our shores, as well.

We're sure that the Outlander's new face will cause a stir amongst enthusiasts, and to be honest, we kind of liked the current car's appearance. No official details have been released about U.S.-spec powertrains or specifications for 2010, but we'd bet that a choice of four- and six-cylinder engines are still on hand, as well as optional all-wheel drive.

+ Autoblog: Evo-lved 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander shows up Down Under

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Mitsubishi announced this morning that the new 2010 Lancer Sportback GTS and Ralliart will be available in dealerships from August 17th and will cost $19,190 and $27,590 respectively.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback GTS has a 2.4 liter engine with 168 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque. The five speed manual transmission will be $19,190 and the six speed CVT automatic transmission with paddle shifters will start at $20,190.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart is fitted with a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine that produces 237 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. The car comes with All-Wheel Drive, a six speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift Transmission, and paddle shifters, at a starting price of $27,590. Both cars come with Stability Control, an anti-theft system and powertrain warranties.

Scroll down and read the press release to find out more about the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback GTS and Ralliart.

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Mitsubishi has plans to give their Outlander SUV a substantial refresh later this year, and we'll get our first glimpse of this via the Outlander GT Prototype set to debut in New York next week. These teaser shots show that the updated Outlander will have a Lancer-inspired nose. This could prove to look a bit awkward, but given the success of the Lancer (as well as Ralliart and Evo), we'd bet that the finished product will look pretty nice.

Aside from the plastic surgery, the Outlander's 3.0-liter V-6 will also get some updates in the way of improved performance and fuel economy, as well as Idle Neutral Logic technology, which automatically puts the transmission into neutral while a vehicle isn't moving. We'll have the full details from New York next week, but click through our small gallery above to see the three teaser shots.

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Evo beater? WRX thrasher? The folks at our Austin, Texas offices had a silver 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. Got questions about the hilarious Lancer middle-child? Click through to the NextAutos Ask It Forum thread , to get in-depth answers to your Ralliart Q's. So far, we've covered transmission smoothness, handling, fuel economy, track driving and more.

+ NextAutos Forums: Ask It: 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

Anybody can enjoy a sports car on a sun-drenched two-lane in the middle of summer. That takes no imagination. But what if you live where it snows -- are you supposed to park it between November and March? We think not.

Such is why we evaluated these cars in the dead of a Michigan winter. Of a winter that boasted more snow by the middle of January than the record books show as the average through April.

CLICK HERE to continue reading this comparison test.

Car Summary

The Galant offers sportiness and comfort that you won’t find in any other midsize family sedan – so it’s unfortunate that it’s so often overlooked. The Ralliart, featuring a 258-horsepower V-6, is sprightly—and its speed-sensitive, hydraulic power steering gives us a decent sense of control over the vehicle. Eighteen-inch performance tires also provide excellent handling and a smooth ride. Inside, the Galant is well done with plenty of room for all passengers. The only significant downside is the rear seat’s inability to fold forward and thus store larger items.

Pros

• Sporty, comfortable and plenty of room for a family sedan
• Available Ralliart trim makes it downright enjoyable to drive
• Great pricing incentives from most dealers

Cons

• No manual transmission available
• Four-speed automatic transmission feels dated: a modern five-speed would be nice
• Doesn't hold its value as well as other cars in its class

Read more about the Mitsubishi Galant Sedan on the vehicle's buyer's guide page, where you'll find our driving impressions (including road tests for the Sport Edition and Ralliart models), previous road tests, galleries, and more. You can find buyer's guides to other vehicles in the NextAutos Buyer’s Guide database.

The heart of motorsport just became a little more…empty. Big time automaker Mitsubishi has decided to pull out of its highly successful and accomplished rally program in order to keep costs down in these toughest of times.

"The sudden deterioration of the global economy made it necessary for the company to focus its resources more tightly," said a Mitsubishi spokesperson.

Even after winning twelve times in the punishing Dakar Rally, including a succession of seven unmatched victories starting from 2001 to 2007, Mitsubishi is still predicting a $670 million loss. Therefore, a rather expensive sport will have to go. While the exact amount the Japanese company will save isn’t known, the entry cost of merely participating in the Dakar two-week off-road marathon is over $250,000.

Mitsubishi is not the only one to announce such devastating news. Both Subaru and Suzuki have canceled its World Rally Championship plans, and Honda decided to shut down its Formula 1 team in December, and Audi has removed itself from ALMS contention.

+ Motor Authority: Mitsubishi withdraws from rally racing

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CAR SUMMARY
New for 2009, the Lancer Ralliart fills the wide gap between the Lancer GTS and Lancer Evolution. Mitsubishi wants this car to be their version of the Subaru Impreza WRX, and with all-wheel-drive capability and a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, the Ralliart indeed fits the bill. The Ralliart's aggressive styling, sporty handling, and twin-clutch transmission make it a worthy competitor not only for the WRX, but for the Mazdaspeed3 and Volkswagen GTI, as well.

PROS
- Turbo-four engine makes for a quick and powerful Lancer.
- Aggressive styling sets the Ralliart apart from the competition.
- All-wheel drive makes this sportster four-season friendly.

CONS
- Interior refinement is a bit lackluster.
- Price point may be higher than some would like to spend.
- Fuel economy is poor compared to competitor offerings.

Read more about the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart on the vehicle's Buyer's Guide page, where you'll find our driving evaluations, previous road tests, galleries, and more. You can find Buyer's Guides to other vehicles in the NextAutos Car Search database.

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After Mitsubishi unveiled the Lancer Sportback for Europe, the automaker announced that we'd be getting our own version in America at some point in 2009. Well, Mitsubishi wasn't lying, judging by this nearly production-ready Lancer Ralliart Sportback that was caught traveling up US-23 outside of Ann Arbor this morning.

While these prototypes don't have the stylish wheels and clear taillights of the Prototype S show car, we won't necessarily rule them out as options. Instead, these Sportback models were using the same wheels from the Lancer Ralliart and GTS sedans, and the standard red-enclosed taillights don't look too bad, either. As for power, we highly doubt that Mitsubishi will be tweaking with any of its engine choices. Additionally, we like that Mitsubishi opted to nix any sort of window between the C- and D-pillars, though we're sure how bad of a blind spot that will create until we get some actual seat time in the little Mitsu.

Us? We're looking forward to a seeing how this Mitsu stacks up to the Subaru WRX five-door, and we might even be hoping that the all-mighty Evo takes this body style someday, too.