1988 MITSUBISHI Galant 1.8i 5MT FWD (90 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The sixth generation of the Mitsubishi Galant was a surprising upgrade over its predecessor and became a true sports sedan, especially after it received some treatment from AMG.

Mitsubishi built the 1988 Galant on the same platform as its predecessor but restyled it completely. It also introduced new powertrains and became the official rally-car for the Japanese carmaker starting with 1988 in the VR4 version that featured an all-wheel-drive system and a turbocharged engine.

On the outside, the carmaker adopted a two-headlights design instead of the four as its predecessor and added orange, corner-mounted turn signals. The body-colored plastic, wrapped-around bumper sported a lower apron designed more for look than to increase the front downforce. Mitsubishi designed an ascending beltline carried over from its predecessor, but the rounded body panels and shaved edges were new. The greenhouse featured a third slim glass area behind the rear doors, providing more natural light for the rear passengers.

Inside, the Japanese carmaker installed a flat dashboard with a raised area with a set of vents, a digital clock, and the instrument cluster’s sun visor. Since the carmaker struggled to get more market share, it provided more features fitted as standard than its competitors, including four power windows and an AC unit. At the bottom of the center stack, Mitsubishi installed a radio cassette player.

Under the hood, apart from the particular versions that featured all-wheel-drive and all-wheel steering, the rest of the range was quite common, with inline-four, naturally aspirated gasoline engines. A 1.8-liter turbo-diesel designed in-house was available for specific countries. The two-liter version received a special treatment and upgrade from AMG, which, in 1988, was not part of Mercedes-Benz. That made the Galant the only Japanese car ever tuned by the famous German tuner.