Photo submitted THE TURBOCHARGED ail-wheel-drive version of the Plymouth Laser is a new addition to the Laser lineup this year. With full-time all-wheel-drive for safety and traction and a powerful, turbocharged 195-horsepower four-cylinder engine, the Laser Turbo AWD offers good all-weather performance and reasonabie value. Plymouth Laser Potent performance vehicle with all-wheel-drive traction . which significantly improves the FROM THE ‘‘power hump”’ on the hood to the radical- ly-styled, slightly off-kilter dashboard, almost everything about the Plymouth Laser RS Turbo AWD is accented to a handling of the Laser on uneven road surfaces. The powerful 195-horsepower engine takes the Laser from 0 to 100 km/h in 44 There aren't many cars that can sporty, youthful, performance-oriented buyer. Both the Plymouth Laser and its cousin, the Eagle Talon, score low on practicality and refine- ment, but high on performance and looks. Built by Mitsubishi in the Unit- ed States for Chrysler, the Laser 2+2 sporty coupe is offered with front-wheel-drive or all-wheel- drive, in four trim levels: base, RS, RS Turbo, and RS Turbo All-Wheel-Drive. The tur- bocharged all-wheel-drive model is new to the Plymouth lineup this year, having been offered only as an Eagle Talon in 1991. The Laser’s styling has been revised for 1992, notably at the front and rear where the pop-up headlights have been replaced by narrow, aerodynamic halogen lamps, and the rear lamps are higher and narrower with a full- width. light bar below them. The Laser’s styling is generally cleaner and smoother than the Talon’s, though the two cars are very simi- lar in appearance and offer vir- tually the same features and op- tions. In the Laser lineup, there is a considerable difference in price and performance between the base front-wheel-drive Laser and the top-of-the-line Laser RS Turbo AWD model. The base Laser model starts at $14,200- and is equipped with an 87-horsepower 1.8-litre four- cylinder single overhead cam engine. Most buyers will find that Greg Wilson TEST DRIVE this engine does not have enough horsepower for a sporty car. A much better choice is the Laser RS which has a 135-horsepower 2.0- litre four-cylinder dual overhead cam engine and an improved level of trim. . The next level up, the RS Tur- bo, has a turbocharged 195- horsepower version of the same 2.0-litre engine (180 horsepower with the optional automatic transmissiou.) This is almost too much horsepower for a _ front- wheel-drive car, particularly as the power comes on rather sud- denly at around 3,900 rpm, pro- ducing some ‘‘torque-steer’’ (the offer the safety of all wheel-drive, the power of a turbocharger, and the quality and reliability of a Japanese car for under $25,000. 9 power of the engine steers the front wheels). At times this makes spirited driving uncomfortable rather than enjoyable. The turbocharged all-wheel- drive model, on the other hand, disperses those 195 horses to all four wheels, reducing torque steer and offering better control, trac- tion, and handling, particularly in wet and slippery conditions. If you want the extra performance of the turbocharged engine, I would recommend you go for the all-wheel-drive model. Otherwise, choose the non-turbocharged front-wheel-drive RS model. The interior of the Laser has a Technical data Price as tested $24,950 Base price (RS AWD Turbo) $21,900 Type two-door, four-passenger coupe hatchback Layout transverse front engine/front wheel drive Engine 2.0-litre four-cylinder, very sporty feel, highlighted by a centre console tilted about 10 degrees from the horizontal. The tachometer and speedometer are large and well-lit and most con- trols are well-marked and conve- nient for reach. The front bucket seats in the Turbo AWD model are unusually low with no height adjustment, and this impedes outward visibility slightly for all but che tallest drivers. The two small rear seats can be folded forwards to increase the cargo ca- pacity of the rather small trunk. The RS Turbo AWD is the oaly Laser to be equipped with an in- dependent rear suspension system DOHC, 16 valves, intercooled turbocharger, twin -balance shafts, electronic muiti-port fuel injection Hersepower 195 @ 6,000 rpm Torque 203 ft-lbs @ 5,000 rpm Curb weight 1,397 kg/3,073 ibs Wheelbase 2,470 mm/97.2 in. - Length 4,336 mm/172.4 in. Width 1,690 mm/66.5 in. Height 1,305 mm/S51.4 in. under seven seconds, a very quick time for a four-cylinder-engined ear. Al] Lasers are equipped with standard four-wheel disc brakes, and ABS (anti-lock braking system) is available on al! models except the base model. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard on all models and an op- tional electronically-controlled four-speed automatic is available on all models except the Turbo AWD. The manual gearbox is rather clunky in its feel, although it gets the job done. I experienced the same problem on last year’s model and am rather surprised that nothing has been done about it. Still, the Laser’s faults are gen- erally outweighed by its reason- able price. There aren’t many cars that can offer the safety of all- wheel-drive, the power of a tur- bocharger, and the quality and reliability of a Japanese car for under $25,000. Trunk space n/a Fuel. economy City 11.9 1/100 km, 24 mpg; Hwy. 8.7 1/100 km, 32 mpg Warranty Complete three yrs/ 60,000 kms Inquire abcut the Plymouth Laser at Jubilee Plymouth Chrysler, 1177 Marine Dr., NV.