Elegant Galant fails to break the mold
By John Aglionby
THE Japanese are a people that like to conform. While they produce much that is innovative, little seems to emerge from the north Asian archipelago that is vastly different.
That's how it is with their sedans. The latest offering to reach these shores, Mitsubishi's new Galant, is a case in point.
The company is touting the new safety features and the benefits of the redesign but when it comes to the crunch, there is little that distinguishes it from its compatriot competitors.
First glance at the Galant reveals an uncanny resemblance in shape to Nissan's Infiniti, Honda's Accord and Toyota's Corona.
The exterior is undoubtedly elegant, apart from the front grille which looks squashed, with body curves in all the right places.
But more is needed from a car than just elegant looks.
Most people like to be identified by their vehicle, whether it be a Mercedes, Volvo, Rolls Royce or Lada.
But with the Galant, as with the Infiniti, you can be no more specific than: "I'm a Japanese-car driver".
This is a shame because the Galant is a comfortable, if not spectacular, car to drive.
The 2.5-liter V6 SOHC 24-valve engine is more than adequate, although there were occasional signs of sluggishness, particularly when trying to accelerate quickly and for long periods.
I was driving the five-speed manual version and no matter how hard I tried to vary the gear changing, the car never scored 10 out of 10.
But when it did reach high speeds (top speed is about 210km/h) the handling was still smooth, there were no worrying noises and no impression of going flat out.
I was expecting a little bit more performance. Maximum output is 105kW at 5500rpm and maximum torque is 200Nm at 3000rpm.
The brakes, combined with the independent multilink with coil springs suspension, were impressive. ABS is standard and there was not even the vaguest hint of a wobble, let alone a skid, when stopping suddenly.
Other safety features include larger cross-section side sills than in the previous model and reinforced frame components that, according to company data, have greatly improved the car's side- impact performance.
There is only a driver's air bag, perhaps because most passengers will be in the rear seats.
The driving position is comfortable, with plenty of head and legroom -- one of the most instantly noticeable aspects of the redesign -- and an adjustable steering column to accommodate drivers of all shapes and sizes.
The only concern about dashboard features was that no warning light came on when the fuel gauge was hovering millimeters above the empty line.
When reversing, the driver cannot see the back of the trunk because of the angle of the rear window. This aside, visibility is excellent.
Despite having a small rear window, the blind spot is practically nonexistent. Many mopeds and bajaj (motorized three- wheeled vehicles) were weaving along the sides of the car and they were always in view.
As with other Japanese cars, the side mirrors fold parallel to the vehicle.
To many Westerners this might seem a gimmick but with Jakarta drivers' ability to make five lanes of traffic where only three are indicated, it is a feature that is more than just a toy.
One feature of many European cars that Japanese manufacturers seem to shun, for no apparent reason, is access to the trunk from the interior. The Galant's seats do not fold down.
Bearing in mind the volatility of the rupiah, it is hard to say whether the Galant is value for money. On-the-road price is Rp 126 million (US$23,000) for the manual version and Rp 30 million for the automatic.
It is definitely worth considering, but also worth comparing against the competition.