Dodge introduced the Lancer for 1985 as a five-door hatchback on Chrysler's H platform, the Dodge counterpart of the Chrysler LeBaron GTS. The base car used a throttle-body 2.2-liter four with a five-speed manual, and a turbocharged version was optional. By 1986 the 2.2 turbo was rated at 146 hp. In 1985 the Christian Science Monitor described the five-door hatchback as the only model offered, and the model ended with the 1989 model year, its fifth.
The Dodge Lancer name was used on a compact in the early 1960s and again on a sporty five-door sedan from 1985 to 1989. The later Lancer was based on the Chrysler H platform and offered a turbocharged Shelby version. It gave Dodge a hatchback alternative to conventional sedans.
41years
4trims
92–172hp range
The Story
Why the Lancer mattersTrims
4 trims · 1985–1989H-body five-door hatchback sedan (1985-1989) sharing mechanicals with the Chrysler LeBaron GTS; available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged 2.2L fours, including the sporty Shelby Lancer.