Mated to the uprated engine is a new five-speed automatic
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| Sporty stitching, but not exactly the most sporting gearbox. 5-spd auto is the only gearbox available to the Ralliart. (Photo: Mitsubishi Cars North America) |
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 Eclipse's six-speeder is a natural mate for the engine as well as the chassis architecture (they both ride on the same platform), it won't be available because the Ralliart's 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 100 km/h 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
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| Wheel and tire package comes from the Eclipse. (Photo: Mitsubishi Cars North America) |
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 Mitsubishi's 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 team's take on how a midsize sport
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| Navigation system is the only option on the well-equipped Ralliart model. (Photo: Mitsubishi Cars North America) |
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 won't make the cut as a sports performance sedan.
Excited
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| The Galant's aggressive pricing and lengthy warrantee are two of its stronger points. (Photo: Mitsubishi Cars North America) |
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 $35,000, 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 Galant's sales performance, Mitsubishi will decide on whether to subject its other products to the Ralliart treatment, including the Eclipse, Endeavor and Raider pickup.
