Mitsubishi Galant

Mitsubishi Galant
Overview
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Motors
Production	1969–present

First generation
Overview
Also called	Dodge Colt Plymouth Champ Mitsubishi Colt
Production	1969–1972
Body and chassis
Class	Compact
Body style	2-door coupe 4-door sedan 2-door convertible
Powertrain
Engine	1.6 L, 125 PS

Second generation
New Zealand-spec 1973 Mitsubishi Colt 16L
Overview
Also called	Chrysler Valiant Galant Mitsubishi Colt Galant Dodge Colt Plymouth Champ Mitsubishi Colt
Production	1973–1975
Body and chassis
Class	Compact
Body style	4-door sedan 2-door coupe 2-door convertible
Powertrain
Engine	2.0 L 'Astron', 125 PS

Third generation
Fifth-generation Galant, badged as the Sigma for the United States.
Overview
Also called	Mitsubishi Galant Sigma Mitsubishi Galant Lambda Dodge Colt Plymouth Champ Chrysler Sigma Mitsubishi Sapporo Mitsubishi Sigma Scorpion Chrysler Sigma Scorpion Dodge Challenger Plymouth Sapporo Mitsubishi Galant Sigma Mitsubishi Sigma
Production	1976–1979
Body and chassis
Class	Compact
Body style	4-door sedan 2-door coupe 4-door station wagon
Powertrain
Engine	2.6 L 4-cylinder

Fourth generation
Overview
Also called	Lonsdale Galant Mitsubishi Sigma
Production	1980–1983
Body and chassis
Class	Compact
Body style	4-door sedan 4-door station wagon

Fifth generation
Overview
Also called	Mitsubishi V3000
Production	1984–1986
Body and chassis
Class	Compact
Body style	4-door sedan
Powertrain
Engine	3.0 L V6

Sixth generation
File:Galant 1991.jpg
Overview
Also called	Dodge 2000GTX Eagle 2000GTX Mitsubishi Galant Eterna
Production	1987–1993
Body and chassis
Class	Compact
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door hatchback

Seventh generation
1996 Mitsubishi Galant ES (7th-Generation US Model)
Overview
Also called	Mitsubishi Emeraude
Production	1992–1998
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door hatchback
Powertrain
Engine	2.4L 141 hp I4
Transmission	4-Speed Automatic Overdrive 5-Speed Manual Overdrive
Dimensions
Wheelbase	103.70 in.
Length	187.00 in.
Width	68.10 in.
Height	53.10 in.

Eighth generation
Overview
Also called	Mitsubishi Legnum
Production	1996–2003
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size
Body style	4-door sedan
Powertrain
Engine	2.0L 136 hp 2.4L 150 hp 2.5L V6 163 hp
Transmission	5-speed manual 5-speed tiptronic semi-automatic transmission (aka "INVECS-II")
Dimensions
Wheelbase	103.70 in.
Length	187.80 in.
Width	68.50 in.
Height	55.70 in.

Ninth generation
Overview
Also called	Mitsubishi Galant Grunder
Production	2004–present
Designer	Olivier Boulay
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size
Body style	4-door sedan
Platform	FF PS
Powertrain
Engine	2.4L 155 hp I4 2.4L 160 hp I4 3.8L 230 hp V6
Transmission	4-Speed Automatic Overdrive
Dimensions
Wheelbase	108.30 in.
Length	190.40 in.
Width	72.40 in.
Height	57.90 in.

The Mitsubishi Galant is a mid-size automobile manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors.

1969

The Mitsubishi Galant was launched in 1969 as a two and four-door sedan, sold in some markets as the Colt Galant. It featured a choice of 1.3 or 1.5 L four-cylinder engines. It was sold in the United States as the Dodge Colt from 1971.

From 1970, a fastback coupé model, the Hardtop, was added. It was the first Japanese production passenger car without side pillars. The same year saw the release of the most powerful first-generation model, the GTO, with a 1.6 L engine rated at 125 PS.

1973

The second generation Galant sedan and GTO were more widely exported and was sold in Australia as the Chrysler Valiant Galant and in Europe as the Colt Galant. This model was more curvaceous, influenced by coke-bottle styling, and featured a larger, 1850 cc engine, as well as a new 2.0 L 'Astron' engine developing 125 PS. It was also offered as the Dodge Colt in the US.

1976

The third-generation Galant, dating from 1976, was divided into two models: the Galant Sigma (for the sedan and wagon) and the Galant Lambda (the coupe). The former was sold in many markets as the Mitsubishi Galant (without the word 'Sigma') and in Australia as the Chrysler Sigma (until 1980, after which it became the Mitsubishi Sigma). Strangely, in New Zealand it was badged as 'Galant Sigma' but colloquially referred to as the 'Sigma', a name it formally adopted after 1980.

Sapporo

The coupé was sold in Europe as the Mitsubishi Sapporo, in Australia as the Chrysler (and later Mitsubishi) Sigma Scorpion, and in the United States as the Plymouth Sapporo and Dodge Challenger from 1978 to 1983. In the Japanese market, the car was known as the Mitsubishi Lambda. Initially available with Mitsubishi's Astron engine, the larger 2.6 L 4-cylinder engine was later optional. Four-wheel disc brakes were standard.

1980

A substantial facelift took place in 1980, though the rear end (from firewall back) of the wagon was retained. Mitsubishi officially considers this a new generation Galant (Sigma). It was Car of the Year in New Zealand in 1981. Production of the wagon model continued in Australia till 1987, when the Magna wagon came on stream. An anomaly of this Galant was that the sedan (all new body) was on a longer 2530 mm wheelbase than the wagon (previous generation body with new front sheetmetal), which used a slightly shorter 2515 mm wheelbase.

Lonsdale

From 1982 to 1983, some of the Australian Sigmas were exported to the United Kingdom with the Lonsdale badge, circumventing the voluntary 11 percent market restriction adopted by Japanese manufacturers. The car was unsuccessful. For its final year, 1983 to 1984, it carried Mitsubishi Sigma badges in the UK before meeting its demise.

1984

A long-lived fifth-generation model shifted to front-wheel drive for the 1984 model year as a four-door sedan and hardtop (with different styling). This formed the basis of the widened Mitsubishi Magna in Australia for 1985, the same year in which Mitsubishi won the Golden Steering Wheel in Germany for the Galant and Wheels’ Car of the Year for the Magna. In 1988, the standard Galant was rereleased in the New Zealand market as the V3000 with a 3.0 L V6 engine (and the hardtop's front sheetmetal) and continued alongside the sixth-generation Galant until 1991. This generation was also sold in the United States as the Mitsubishi Sigma up until 1990.

1987

In 1987, the same platform was used for a sixth-generation model which adopted taller, rounded styling. This generation won Japanese Car of the Year in 1987 and the GS model became Motor Trend Import Car of the Year in 1989.

The Sigma designation disappeared but a new hardtop liftback model was added in 1988, called the Galant Eterna.

This generation was also sold in Canada as the Dodge 2000GTX and Eagle 2000GTX.

A limited edition based on the GTi-16v model was introduced in 1989, modified by German tuning company AMG (now owned by Mercedes-Benz),with mildly uprated engine (172PS) and unique bodykit, alloy wheels & leather interior. [1]

The sixth generation was also the first to see the introduction of the VR-4 variant, which was the basis for Mitsubishi's participation in the 1988-1990 World Rally Championships with works drivers Ari Vatanen and Kenneth Eriksson. The Galant's 4G63 two litre DOHC turbocharged engine and 4WD transmission was later adopted for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution almost without modification, and is still in production today.

1992

A new Galant debuted in 1992 (model year 1994 in America), available as a four-door sedan and five-door liftback (Eterna). A Japan-only hardtop model, the Emeraude, was launched in 1992 as well. The 1992 Galant bore resemblence to the second-generation Hyundai Sonata.

Because the Lancer Evo was now Mitsubishi's homologated rally car, the seventh generation VR-4 became a less overtly sporting vehicle, eschewing the old four-cylinder engine in favour of a smoother two litre V6 twin turbo. The four wheel drive transmission was retained.

1996

The eighth-generation 1996 model (1999 in America) continued the 1992 design themes but a station wagon (known in Japan as the Legnum) was added. The liftback was deleted. This model won the 1996–7 Japanese Car of the Year award. Despite it being superseded in the US from 2003, it remains on sale in numerous countries, including Japan itself as of May 2005. This arguably makes it one of the longest-running passenger cars currently on sale in Japan, with the exception of luxury models such as the Toyota Century.

Mitsubishi opted to further develop the technology in its range-topping VR-4, which was now powered by an enlarged 2.5 litre V6 twin turbo. The car could be had with either a conventional 5-speed manual or advanced, self-learning 5-speed tiptronic semi-automatic transmission known as "INVECS-II". Also, some models were fitted with the same advanced active yaw control (AYC) as the Evo, to give it far greater agility than would be expected of such a large vehicle. Finally, as with the rest of the range, the VR4 could now be had either as a Galant sedan or as a Legnum station wagon.

2003

The United States has had the sedan-only ninth-generation PS platform model since 2003, announced at the New York International Auto Show in April of that year, for the 2004 model year. Other markets did not see it till much later. One of the first markets outside North America to get it was the Republic of China, which launched the Galant Grunder in December 2004, with a (so far) unique front end. All new Galant engines come with new GDI or gasoline direct injection engines. Mitsubishi was the first car manufacturer to commercially use the GDI or stratified charge engine.

Near future

It became apparent that the non-American Galants will get a front fascia that resembles that of the Lancer and Diamante. The new front fascia was designed by its former design chief Olivier Boulay. It is equipped with a 2.4 L engine producing 162 bhp.

The Middle East and eastern Europe will likely source its Galants from the United States from 2006.

In Australia, starting in the 2006 model year, Mitsubishi are selling a modified version of the North American Galant as the 380, denoting its 3.8 L engine. The 380 is a successor to the Magna and the Verada large cars that also formed the basis for the North American Diamante. The 380 is a crucial car for Mitsubishi because this is the car that will determine the future of Mitsubishi's Australian manufacturing operations. However, sales have been poor and within 3 months of introducing the model in Australia, Mitsubishi Australia have announced that production will be decreased and 250 staff at its factory are being laid off. This is 15% of the factory staff.

United States production

The seventh-generation Galant's production was shifted to Normal, Illinois. The very first seventh-generation US-made 1994 Galant rolled off the assembly line on May 24, 1993. The eighth generation went into production there on July 7, 1998. The 2004 Galant began production on October 15, 2003.

Due to excess capacity at the plant, Mitsubishi will export Galants in 2006 to markets in the Middle East and eastern Europe. There had been a layoff at the plant in late 2004, and Mitsubishi hopes to utilize its capacity and rehire its former employees as soon as possible.

Safety

In Australia, the 1982-84 Galant was assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 as providing "worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash. The 1995-1996 Galant was assessed as providing "average" protection.[2]

External links

• Mitsubishi Galant at MMC's official global site
• Mitsubishi Galant at MMNA's official US site
• Mitsubishi Galant technical specifications
• The Galant Center – US-based club concentrating on USDM models
• Galants.org - US-based owners' club