2007 Mitsubishi Galant Review

Ralliart Team Helps Mitsubishi Build Up an Underdog

When Mitsubishi pulled off the covers of its two project vehicles at the 2004 SEMA tuner car show, it had an instant hit on its hands. The Galant and Endeavor Ralliart Concepts were immediate stars garnering plenty of positive feedback, and everyone thought that these sporty vehicles would get the green light right away - especially the Galant. But they didnt, and for a while it was thought that the idea had been killed off due to Mitsubishis poor state of financial health. Nevertheless, at this years Chicago Auto Show, two years after its original introduction, the Galant Ralliart made its official production debut.

Part of what made the original Ralliart Concept so appealing was that it looked like a true sports sedan, and thankfully, none of its sportiness was lost in the conversion. Its low, wide stance has been improved with the addition of an aggressive body kit with integrated fog lamps and a wide, low-mount intake. While all 2007 Galants will get the new chrome-colored nose cone, as well as new, less cluttered front and rear bumpers, the Ralliarts exterior is dressed up slightly differently. It features unique elliptical projector-beam headlamps, but it drops the nose cone in favor of mesh grille inserts. Rounding out the tail, the Ralliart features a subtle rear spoiler, and a large-diameter chrome-tipped exhaust pipe. Ralliart bi-color badges on the front grille and trunklid advertise that this is no ordinary Galant.

Mitsubishi has dressed up the interior of the Galant Ralliart as well, with luxurious and sporting appointments. Among the list of upgrades includes a new steering wheel from the Australian Mitsubishi 380 sedan, perforated heated leather sports seats, a baseball-stitched gearleaver, aluminum pedals, and new textured trim, which replaces the bright-silver plastic or gray-tint wood fitted on standard models. As the range-topping model, all Ralliart models have a standard power sunroof, auto-dimming rear mirror, digital climate control and the excellent Rockford Fosgate DSP sound system from the Eclipse, albeit slightly toned down in 360-watt form. The only major option for the Ralliart is a new DVD-based navigation system, which uses the housing for the multi-function trip computer and compass on the dashboard.

The main thing that separates the Galant Ralliart from just any old Galant can be discovered under the hood. Mitsubishi has given this special sporting version the same heart as the new Eclipse, which means a big, burly 3.8-liter V6 with MIVEC variable valve timing. Compared to the non-MIVEC version of this engine, featured in the Galant LS and GTS, the Ralliarts variable valve timing helps pumps out an additional 28-horsepower for a grand total of 258-horsepower. But, has Mitsubishi been out-gunned in this high performance party? The 3.8-liter V6 might have given Mitsubishi the lead had it been on the ball releasing the Galant Ralliart just after the concept debuted, but two years down the road its merely warm, instead of piping hot. But horsepower isnt everything with the Galant; its surprise is the 258 lb-ft mountain of torque the engine produces - more than all of its competitors, including the new 3.5-liter V6-equipped Toyota Camry.

Mated to the uprated engine is a new five-speed automatic gearbox, snatched from the Eclipse, which should be a good pair to the torque-laden V6. And what about a manual? Despite the fact that the Eclipses six-speeder is a natural mate for the engine as well as the chassis architecture (they both ride on the same platform), it wont be available because the Ralliarts projected sales are too small to justify offering two gearboxes. Nevertheless, the additional cog in the automatic is a step forward, and if drivers desire, they can shift gears sequentially via Sportronic mode. Mitsubishi figures that with the extra power, the Galant should hit 60 mph in around seven seconds, though all its competitors dispatch this task a half second quicker at the very least. The five-speed automatic will also replace the old four-speed gearbox in the V6-powered Galant LS and GTS, improving performance and economy on lesser models.

After successfully transforming the humdrum Lancer econobox into an eager and willing Lancer Ralliart sports compact sedan with best-in-class handling, the Galant Ralliart has a lot to live up to, but lucky for Mitsubishis Ralliart division, the Galant is already a competitor for the best handling midsize family sedan. To up the game, the new car features the same tricks that were employed on the Lancer, allowing it to cope better with corners. The Galant Ralliart features revised springs and dampers for a firmer ride, plus thicker, 21 mm diameter anti-roll bars in front and back to conquer body roll and a strut brace over the engine to improve structural rigidity. Grip should also be high thanks to enormous 18-inch wheels, wrapped in wide 235-width rubber, a package pinched from the top of the line Eclipse.

It will be interesting to experience the Ralliart teams take on how a midsize sport sedan should ride, handle and drive. Unlike the Lancer, the Galant is a much larger, heavier car which caters to a different more mature audience. It also has the disadvantage of having the heavy, cast-iron V6 hanging above its front wheels, which gave the Eclipse nose-heavy handling which was prone to early understeer. In some respects, the car already appears softer than its immediate competition with the five-speed automatic as the lone gearbox, so suspension modifications could very well make or break the car; if the ride is too hard it will fail as high-speed family transport; if the ride is too soft it wont make the cut as a sports performance sedan.

Excited about the new Galant Ralliart? It will be in dealers starting this summer, and although pricing has yet to be announced it is expected to start around $29,000, undercutting the equivalent performance models from Honda, Nissan and Toyota by upwards of $1,000. Mitsubishi hopes to shift more than 5,000 units of the Galant Ralliart - of which it should have no difficulty doing, considering its power, cornering potential and aggressive pricing. Mitsubishi is also the only manufacturer to build a midsize performance sedan backed by a ten-year powertrain warrantee, which should add further appeal. Based upon the special-edition Galants sales performance, Mitsubishi will decide on whether to subject its other products to the Ralliart treatment, including the Eclipse, Endeavor and Raider pickup.