Autoblog

click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Mitsubishi Galant

Mitsubishi just unveiled its freshened-for-2009 Galant sedan at the Chicago Auto Show, and unlike our favorable response to the changes made to its Eclipse sibling, we think Mitsu might need to do a hard refresh on the Galant a couple of more times before it looks as handsome as it could. The new uninterrupted grille might look better than the prior split version, but it still doesn't seem to work as well as the nose on the EVO or new Eclipse. Out back, however, the new Lancer-inspired taillights and slightly reshaped fenders are a big improvement.

As we recently reported when the info was dropped in our laps a few days ago, the 2009 Mitsubish Galant will be offered in four versions: the top-shelf Ralliart model (red car in pics), V6 Sport, four-cylinder Sport edition and the four-cylinder ES (gray). The Ralliart is still powered by a 3.8L MIVEC V6 producing 258 horsepower and uses a 5-speed Sportronic automatic transmission. The Galant V6 Sport gets a 230-hp 3.8L V6, while the two remaining models are powered by a 160-hp 2.4L MIVEC four-cylinder. The V6 models get a 5-speed Sportronic automatic, while the four-cylinders make do with four-speeds. The two Sport models (both V6 and four-cylinder versions) also feature a power glass sunroof and heated cloth front seats as standard equipment. A ho-hum enhancement for a model that never caught on after its last redesign, we think Mitsubishi missed the target on this one.

Check out Mitsu's full press release after the jump, and the new live pics in our gallery below.

click above for more high-res images of the 2009 Mitsubishi Galant

Mitsubishi will officially unveil the freshened-for-2009 Galant sedan at the Chicago Auto Show next week, but we can show you now what changes are in store for the mid-size four-door. The 2009 Mitsubishi Galant is marked by new exterior styling that, while not revolutionary, is just enough of a change to say the look is new. The front end features a cleaner design than the '08 model by dropping Mitsubishi's short-lived split grille for a more traditional one that spans uninterrupted across the Galant's face. The new hood gets some sharp creases and the lower intake has been changed and features new fog lights on either side. Big changes have occurred out back, too, where there are new rear taillights that necessitated a slight change in the rear fenders' shape, as well. Though Mitsubishi told us the interior had been updated too, the only difference we could see was a new shifter gate.

The 2009 Mitsubish Galant will be offered in four versions: the top-shelf Ralliart model, V6 Sport (shown), four-cylinder Sport edition and the four-cylinder ES. The Ralliart is still powered by a 3.8L MIVEC V6 producing 258 HP and uses a 5-speed Sportronic automatic transmission. The Galant V6 Sport gets a 230-HP 3.8L V6, while the two remaining models are powered by a 160-HP 2.4L MIVEC four-cylinder. The V6 models get a 5-speed Sportronic automatic, while the four-cylinders made do with four-speeds. The two Sport models (both V6 and four-cylinder versions) also feature a power glass sunroof and heated cloth front seats as standard equipment.

It would appear that Mitsubishi is banking on the Galant's new sheetmetal alone to move more metal off the dealer lots, but with more customer traffic in showrooms thanks to successful redesigns of the Outlander and Lancer, its plan just might work. Check out Mitsubishi's full press release after the jump.

[Source: Mitsubishi]