The Mitsubishi Galant is one of the most iconic rides of all time. With a production run of close to 50 years, the mark that Galant left is pretty indelible.
It entered the automotive scene in 1969, with a French-derived name that meant chivalrous. It has had nine distinguished generations in the past half-century and has recorded over 5 million units sold. It started as a compact sedan and evolved through the years into a midsize car. Initially produced in Japan, Mitsubishi began building it in its various plants worldwide to expand its reach.
First Generation 1969-1973
The Galant first came out in 1969 with the launch of the Dynawedge, Mitsubishi’s new aerodynamic design. It succeeded the well-received Mitsubishi Colt 1500. The Galant came in three options, the AI model which featured a Saturn 1.3-litre engine, the AII and AIII that came with a 1.5-litre version of the engine. Mitsubishi also released a 1.7-litre version in 1973 that produced 85kW.
The first models came as 4-door sedans and 5-door estates, with a 2-door hardtop joining the lineup in 1970. The hardtop was Mitsubishi's first passenger car in production that had full-size mirrors and lacked side pillars. In March 1973, the Galant MCAII arrived with a relatively cleaner 1.6-litre engine that gave out 82kW of power.
The Galant competed with Toyota's Corona, Nissan's Bluebird, Honda's Accord, and Mazda's Cappella. During that period, the American car company Chrysler entered a captive import deal with Mitsubishi, and the Galant became their first Mitsubishi car to sell in the US. Chrysler first marketed it as the Chrysler Galant alongside Chrysler Valiant models in Australia.
Second Generation 1974–1977
The second generation of the Mitsubishi Galant saw the light of day in 1973 but came to Australia a year later as a four-door sedan. It proved to be a greater success compared to its first-generation release with Chrysler Australia selling it as the Chrysler Galant. It came with floor-mounted four-speed manual and five-speed transmission for sport models. Mitsubishi also provided an option for a three-speed automatic transmission. The second generation had an MCAII version with a downrated 71kW engine from the 74 kW version of the first generation.
Hardtop
The second-generation Galant hardtop had a curvier design, which drew inspiration from Coke's iconic bottle and came with larger Astron engines producing 91kW in 2000cc. For the second generation, Mitsubishi released the first Astron-80 engines as a debut for the newly-designed Silent Shaft balance shaft technology that ensured minimal engine vibration and noise. The Galant’s body style remained the same as the first-gen models and came as a sedan, wagon, and a pillarless two-door hardtop. However, new markets received a fixed-post coupe version. The Galant had exclusive new models added to the product lineup. These were the GL-II, SL-5, GT, and the GS-II.
Third Generation 1976-1980
The Galant premiered its third generation in 1976, dubbed as the Galant Σ (Sigma), though various export markets knew the car only as Galant. In Australia, the car was assembled at the Chrysler Clovelly Park plant, badged as Chrysler Sigma. In 1980, however, Mitsubishi opted to buy the Australian Chrysler Assembly and renamed the Chrysler Sigma as the Mitsubishi Sigma. The Australian model featured a locally-made 2.6-litre Astron four engines. In December 1985, Mitsubishi replaced the 1.6, 1.85, and 2.0-litre engines with the Astron 4 engine.
1977 saw the release of the wagon shortly after the sedans got in the market. In 1976, Mitsubishi introduced a new two-door coupé, called Lambda in Japan, to succeed the Galant GTO. It initially came by the marque Chrysler Sigma Scorpion but later became the Mitsubishi Scorpion.
In 1977 Mitsubishi discontinued the 1850 and focussed on improving the 1600 and the 2000 engines. In 1978, the Galant product line got a change in design with single rectangular headlights, which were replaced with twin square units seven months later. During that time, Mitsubishi underwent a financial crisis and limited the engine choices to 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre variants that produced 63kw and 77kW, respectively.
This generation was the recipient of the Car of the Year Award in South Africa in 1977.
Fourth Generation 1980–1987
The fourth generation saw a variety of iterations in the lineup. In Australia, the models used the name Mitsubishi Scorpion. They came slightly larger in design than their predecessor and featured a more ergonomic and aerodynamic design. This generation sported an increase in shoulder room, legroom, and headspace, and also had a more spacious trunk. The interior came fitted with carpet and noise-cancelling materials.
The fourth-generation van had design changes, as well, although it retained its iconic firewall back. The Mitsubishi Galant had a new Sirius engine with a turbocharged option. The power output varied from 107kW for the performance trim to 115kW for the standard emission version. It also featured a newly-designed electric fuel injection system for the Astron petrol engine versions.
Mitsubishi also added a turbo-diesel option for fuel economy but didn't feature a naturally-aspirated diesel engine. The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel produced 62kW of power which was quite sporty at the time. The diesel trim reportedly had reliability issues, but Mitsubishi added a redesigned cylinder head in 1982 to solve the problem. The Mitsubishi Sigma was named New Zealand's Car of the Year in 1981.
The Sigma wagon versions came with the same body style but featured a new fascia and interior. The wagon continued production up to 1987 when Mitsubishi replaced it with the Magna.
Fifth Generation 1983–1989
1983 saw the launch of the fifth generation with new designs, including a four-door sedan and a four-door hardtop similar to the Mitsubishi Tredia. This generation featured an extended chassis that translated to an increased room for passengers and trunk space. GL and GLX models came fitted with either a 1.6-litre or a 1.8-litre engine. The GLS models came with either 2.0-litre petrol or 1.8-litre Sirius turbo-diesel engine. Diesel variants came in GL and GLX trims, and diesel versions received power steering.
The fifth generation remained in production up to 1991 and became the basis of a new car model, the Magna.
Sixth Generation 1987–1994
The sixth generation of the Galant came with a taller, rounder styling and a new Dynamic ECS adaptive air suspension, the first in passenger cars. In Australia, the Galant was a hatchback called the Mitsubishi Galant SE. It came in two trim levels, namely:
- GSR – 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, 102kW of power and 173Nm of torque
- SE – 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, 77kW of power and 160Nm of torque
Later, Mitsubishi included a V6 engine with the introduction of a new trim dubbed the Galant V6-24, which came in 4-speed and 5-speed transmission options.
- V6-24 – 2.0-litre 6-valve petrol engine coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission, 110kW and 179Nm
- V6-24 – 2.0-litre 6-valve petrol engine coupled with a 5-speed manual gearbox that put out a similar 110kW and 179Nm of torque
The sixth generation did not last long, discontinuing in 1993 after the launch of the seventh generation.
Seventh Generation 1992–1998
Mitsubishi launched the seventh-generation models (4-door sedan and 5-door liftback coupe) at the 1992 Tokyo Motor Show. This generation featured a new suspension design with the inclusion of a new multi-link system. However, these models did not make it to Australia. The sixth-generation would be the last generation of the Galant in the Australian market.
Mitsubishi continued to produce the Mitsubishi Galant for two more generations until 2012 for other markets. The new model called Mitsubishi 380 came with a larger engine, a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder 4G64 engine. Australia got a localized version that featured a 3.8-litre 6G75 V6 with 175kW of power. The 380 was produced from 2005 to 2008, becoming the final Mitsubishi car to be built in Australia.
- RayKaz