2004 MITSUBISHI Galant (US) 3.8L V6 4AT FWD (232 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Mitsubishi introduced the ninth generation of the Galant on the North American market and was warmly welcomed by customers, despite its unusual design language.

In 2004, Mitsubishi tried to score big in front of American customers and produced its flagship sedan in Normal, Illinois. Moreover, the car was exported from there to several markets worldwide. While in the first production years, the car didn’t manage to fulfill its customers’ wishes, it upgraded the packages, and starting with 2007, it was a far better car.

Mitsubishi’s design department shouldn’t be awarded for creating such a bland-looking car, even though it tried. The headlights were rather squared but with a curved inner side. The grille was split into two halves, with a wide, vertical center slat where the badge was placed. After the 2007 facelift, that slat disappeared, leading to a much cleaner look. The sedan profile showed a slightly ascending beltline. At the back, the carmaker installed small taillights when compared to the rest of the rear end.

While the exterior designers looked like they were paid with lunch money, the interior designers looked like they got beefier salaries. The clean, two-tone design, with a touch-screen infotainment display placed atop the center stack that sported nicely done dials. Moreover, the bucket seats were bolstered just enough to provide a comfortable ride but still offer adequate side support during high-speed cornering. At the back, three passengers could sit on the bench, but the middle rear one had to deal with a harder center-section area.

Under the hood, Mitsubishi installed a choice of two engines: a 2.4-liter inline-four and a 3.8-liter V6. The latter was upgraded later on on the Ralliart versions and provided the performances a Galant needed to keep up with other Japanese carmakers.