Mitsubishi Galant gtz

(More over, Passat — here’s

another stylish, lively-driving alternative to the Accord and Camry)

When it comes to getting publicity, being bigger is almost always better. Toyota had little problem getting the world out about its restyled Camry a couple of years ago. And Honda had no problem with the new Accord last year. These huge selling cars are backed by commensurate ad budgets and they draw lost of attention from the mainstream press.

Mitsubishi, which sells less than a quarter as many cars as Honda or Toyota does, isn’t so fortunate. It is determined, though, not to let its new Galant go unnoticed. Many prime-time-TV viewers will have noticed the sepia-toned ads showing a sleek four-door in constantly changing camera angels, cruising city streets and country roads. The advertising message is clear: «Sedans can be cool, and there's a new one of Mitsubishi that doesn’t look or drive like others».

We'll pass on whether family sedans can be cool, and we’ll concede that new Galant doesn’t look like its rivals. The basic three-box shape is nothing new, but other elements distinguish this car. The Galant's sheetmetal works like Italian suit — not particularly sharp-edged in any of the details, yet it somehow manages to look stylishly angular. The Mitsubishi’s rounded ducktail looks as though it was borrowed from the last-generation BMW 3-series, but the front end is what we’re drawn to. It’s stretched around a tight rectangular grille that just forward aggressively, with drawn-back headlamps on each side. This is one of those noses that are as interesting to gaze at form the side as from the front.

All the ’99 Galants share these cues, including the low-line DE, the mid-level ES, and the higher-line LS MODELS. Interesting is the sporty new GTZ model, which is almost chrome-free and comes with a standard rear wing. The wing looks a little sophomoric, but GTZ’s mid-night-black paint and body-color grille gave it an absolutely sinister look.

The insides, created at Mitsubishi’s design center in Southern California, are less bold. It’s a tasteful execution with no surprises, except perhaps for the center stereo that interrupts the dash. On our GTZ, nearly every visible surface — carpeting, dash, seats, door pillars — is finished in the sober grey color of a winter sky. The faux wood on the dashboard and doors is a welcome interruption. The carpeting — stiffly molded, lacking fuzz and difficult to clean is about the only tactile letdown.

Functionally, the Galant is in the game. The controls are convenient. The leather front seats in our GTZ appeared overstuffed for a sports sedan, but they were comfortable nonetheless. The driver’s seat-cushion height adjusts separately from the seatback, a feature usually found in more expensive cars. There are 55 cubic feet of room in the front and 43 cubic feet for the rear passengers. A Camry has room like that. And Accord has 52 and 45 front and rear and the Passat scores 51 and 42. The Galant’s rear-seat space is generous for two, but for three, have the height-challenged human take the middle-seat — its humped cushion cuts headroom significantly. The right rear seatback folds down to accommodate long items, but not the entire seatback, unlike the rear seats in most of the Galant’s competitors. The trunk has a flat floor and can carry 14 cubic feet of dirty gym clothes and empty All Sport bottles.

So the Galant looks slicker than its competitors. Inside, it has what it takes, more or less. So good so far, but what about driving it?

There are two different engines available — a 145-hp, 2.4-liter that was used in the last Galant, and a 195-hp V-6 (190 horses in LEV states) for higher-line models, including the GTZ. That big motor is, unfortunately, married to a four-speed automatic — meaning that the Galant can’t serve up the kind of fun the Camry V-6 and Mazda 626 V-6 can, with their available row-it-yourself gearboxes.

One of the reasons for the good ride is Goodyears. The Galant also has a rubber-isolated drivetrain cradle that helps filter out engine and road vibrations. It’s made of light but stiff cast aluminum — high-tech for a sedan priced at less than $25,000.

Tat price is competitive. The Galant starts at $17,410 for a base four-cylinder DE model with power windows and locks, air conditioning, a cassette player, and an automatic transmission. (A less expensive manual is due later). A 1989 Camry CE optioned similarly is $19,434. A ’98 Accord LX, with cruise and power mirrors, costs $19,485.

For a smaller automaker like Mitsubishi, competing with big guns Toyota and Honda, with their almost limitless resources and instant model-name recognition, is probably very much like getting a sharp stick in the eye. The new Galant, though, is a gallant effort from Japan’s fourth-largest car seller. The GTZ can’t match the performance of many of its competitors, but it feels swift enough when you drive it. And the Galant doesn’t match the refinement of its competitors’ products, wrapped in sportier, more distinctive styling, at a slightly lower price.

That’s not a very clearly defined hook to hang your marketing hat on, is it? Don’t stop running those raucous TV ads any time soon, Mitsubishi.

Answer the questions:

1. How many cars does Mitsubishi sell?

2. Why does the Galant’s sheetmetal work like Italian suit?

3. Describe the sporty new GTZ model.

4. How many cubic feet of room are in the front and for the rear passengers?

5. Does the trunk have a flat floor?

6. How many cubic feet of dirty gym clothes can the trunk carry?

7. What engine was used in the last Galant?

8. What engine is used in the GTZ?

9. What is one of the reasons for good ride of the GTZ?

10. Does the Galant have a rubber-isolated drivertrain cradle?

11. What is the cradle responsible for?

12. Why is competing with Toyota and Honda for Mitsubishi like getting a sharp stick in the eye?