Autoblog

eBay Find of the Day: 1988 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma has world's strangest turn signal stalk

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Auctions, Etc., Design/Style

If you're like us, when you think about idiosyncratic, envelope-pushing automotive design, your thoughts do not automatically turn to the sedans Mitsubishi was pushing out in the 1980s. As it turns out though - and as we are amply reminded by the ceaseless wonders of eBay Motors - the 1988 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma was moving the needle in terms of interior design, at least.

In this meticulously well-documented example, you'll see that the Sigma had it going on as far as steering-wheel accessible controls. Though not actually mounted on the wheel itself, as has become the dominant layout, the Galant designers put all of the highest-use functions within a finger's reach, through the huge aperture of the one-spoke wheel. Most notable here is the turn-signal stalk, which protrudes out through the steering wheel, defying convention, logic and indeed, crashworthiness in a flourish that can only be described as "sort of French."

Do yourself a favor and spend a little time browsing this very large gallery of Mitsubishi Galant Sigma images. This very rare car is a time capsule from 1988 that is worth the price of admission. You can check out the auction (still days and days to go, eager bidders), here.

eBay Find of the Day: 1988 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma has world's strangest turn signal stalk originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi to kill off Eclipse, Endeavor in August, Galant to live on

Chris Shunk — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Eclipse - Click above for high-res image gallery

We first heard back in January that Mitsubishi was planning to kill off the Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant by 2013. Now, however, AutoWeek is reporting that the euthanization timeline is a lot closer to summer, with only the Galant receiving a reprieve.

Mitsubishi North America CEO Yoichi Yokozawa has reportedly confirmed that the automaker will stop production on the Eclipse and Endeavor in August, but added that a determination on the Galant won't happen until later. The vehicles are currently being built in Mitsubishi's Illinois assembly plant, but the automaker is looking to make room for the Outlander Sport. Mitsubishi plans to make 50,000 copies per year of the crossover utility vehicle, with half the vehicles tabbed for export.

If you're looking to get your hands on one of the last Endeavor models, you'd better hurry, since Mitsubishi only has a 23-day supply of the outdated model. The Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder will probably take a while to peter out, though, as the automaker currently has a 180-day supply of the coupe and convertible. Either way, for tens of thousands of devotees, it's an ignominious end for a once-proud performance model.

Gallery: 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Gallery: 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor

[Source: AutoWeek]

Mitsubishi to kill off Eclipse, Endeavor in August, Galant to live on originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mitsubishi to kill Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant

Zach Bowman — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Mitsubishi

2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse - Click above for high-res image gallery

It turns out the rumors we heard about the languishing Mitsubishi lineup are true. According to Automotive News, Mitsubishi is planning to drop the axe on the entirety of its American-made portfolio of vehicles in order to begin building new global platforms here in the States. That means that the Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant will all be sent to pasture gradually between now and 2014. In their place, Mitsubishi is likely to begin building cars and crossovers off of the Lancer and Outlander bones at the company's Normal, Illinois manufacturing facility. At least some of those vehicles will be hybrid or battery powered.

Mitsubishi has made it clear that the company will offer eight hybrid and battery-powered vehicles by 2015 in a move to be better prepared for rising fuel prices. The company saw a sales increase of around three percent last year, and by 2013 or 2014, the automaker says that it plans to see that figure at 37 percent. That would mean Mitsubishi would need to move a total of 1.37 million vehicles by that date.

Gallery: 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse

[Sources: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Report: Mitsubishi to kill Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi, UAW reach Illinois plant pact - but what will they build there?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Mitsubishi, UAW/Unions

The good ol' Diamond Star Motors plant in Normal, Illinois - where such well-regarded vehicles as the original Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser were built, among others - is apparently getting a new lease on life now that Mitsubishi, the United Auto Workers and laborers at the plant have all approved of a new contract.

At this point, it's unclear what Mitsubishi plans to build in its only North American plant, and the present output of Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant are likely not long for this world. Would it be too much to ask for an Eclipse that hearkens back to the good old days of turbocharged engines and all-wheel drive? Probably, but we'll settle for a new nameplate or two that escapes the automaker's current mire of drab, dated and slow-selling sedans and coupes.

In any case, we're told to expect a detailed product plan from Mitsubishi that will lay out the steps it will take to become relevant in the United States once again. And, incidentally, the Japanese automaker apparently has no intentions whatsoever of leaving the U.S. market... which means whatever it's cooking up at the moment had better be rather impressive.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Mitsubishi, UAW reach Illinois plant pact - but what will they build there? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mitsubishi could kill off Galant, Eclipse by 2013

Zach Bowman — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Japan, Crossover

Mitsubishi Eclipse - Click above for high-res image gallery

Things aren't looking good for the Mitsubishi lineup of American-built vehicles. According to AutoWeek, the Japanese automaker is channeling all of its resources into building a new global small car. That means that between now and 2012, we won't be seeing too many updates to the likes of the Galant, Endeavor, Eclipse or Eclipse Spyder. All of those past-their-prime vehicles ride on the same platform and are built in the company's Normal, Illinois manufacturing facility. As of right now, AutoWeek says that the Japanese automaker hasn't decided what to build at that plant once cars like the current Eclipse go the way of the dinosaur.

Mitsubishi has been planning a new global car for a good while now, and while details are still murky at the moment, we're told to expect a fuel-thrifty 1.0 or 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood. The car is expected to show up in either late 2012 or early 2013, which leaves Mitsubishi to soldier on with only two other planned additions to its lineup between now and then - the i-MiEV electric vehicle and the Outlander Sport.

Us? We're a bit more pessimistic. If cash-strapped Mitsu offs a significant portion of its lineup amidst slumping sales, will a new inexpensive small car and the Outlander and Lancer lineups make U.S. dealers enough money for them to stay in business?

[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: Mitsubishi could kill off Galant, Eclipse by 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi recalls 2004 Endeavor, 2010 Galant

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, SUV, Recalls, Safety, Mitsubishi, Off-Road

Mitsubishi is recalling both the 2004 Endeavor SUV and 2010 Galant sedan over possible corrosion issues that could cause flammable fluids to leak. The safety recall affects approximately 56,113 Endeavors and 2,307 Galants across the United States.

The Endeavors in question are those that were originally sold or currently registered in states where road salt is used to clear away snow and ice in the winter. According to NHTSA, road salt, mixed with other debris, can become trapped between the Endeavor's fuel filler pipe and a reinforcing bracket, which can cause corrosion and potentially a fuel leak. As for the Galant, the automatic transmission oil cooler pipe on some vehicles may have insufficient corrosion-preventing plating. If so, this pipe can develop a hole, meaning transmission fluid can potentially seep out.

The official safety recalls begin in March for the Galant and July for the Endeavor, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. Owners can contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037 for more information regarding either recall. Click through the jump to read the full details in NHTSA's press releases.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Mitsubishi recalls 2004 Endeavor, 2010 Galant

Mitsubishi recalls 2004 Endeavor, 2010 Galant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi ZT Concept could replace cancelled 380 in Australia

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Mitsubishi, Australia

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi Concept ZT.

It's a foregone conclusion that the Concept ZT unveiled in Tokyo is the styling direction Mitsubishi will take when it unveils a reworked Galant in the next couple of years. So common sense says that the next iteration of the Mitsubishi 380 sold in Australia, which began life in 2005 as a rebadged Galant with a few design tweaks, is going to reappear sharing most of the cues debuted on the ZT.

The fact that Mitsubishi will end production of the 380 at its Adalaide, Australia plant towards the end of March so it can pursue a "full import strategy" is further proof that the next 380 is going to share even more in common with the next generation Galant. While it's not certain that the 380 moniker will be nixed in favor of a Galant badge, it's likely to be packing a choice of new motors that puts fuel-efficiency over performance, including one of Mitsubishi's new diesel mills.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Gallery: Mitsubishi Concept-ZT

Mitsubishi ZT Concept could replace cancelled 380 in Australia originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago '08 Preview: 2009 Mitsubishi Galant gets fresh face

John Neff — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Sedan, Mitsubishi

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]

Gallery: 2009 Mitsubishi Galant

Continue reading Chicago '08 Preview: 2009 Mitsubishi Galant gets fresh face

Chicago '08 Preview: 2009 Mitsubishi Galant gets fresh face originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi previews next Galant in the Concept-ZT

Siddharth Raja — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:48:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi

Click the above picture for more pictures of the Mitsubishi Concept-ZT

Mitsubishi's star at the show might have been the new Evo X, but the new Concept-ZT is the more important car as it previews the next-generation Galant, which is a big seller for the company. Styled like a large Lancer, the ZT features the same jet-fighter grille but is overall a more stylish and elegant vehicle. We particularly liked some of the small styling touches such as the side mirrors and detailed wheels. Under the hood is Mitsu's 2.2L diesel engine mated to a twin-clutch gearbox, which Mitsubishi seems to be introducing throughout their lineup.

Gallery: Mitsubishi Concept-ZT

Continue reading Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi previews next Galant in the Concept-ZT

Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi previews next Galant in the Concept-ZT originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi bringing i MIEV Sport, Concept-ZT to Tokyo

Alex Nunez — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Green, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi

Click images to enlarge

That's right, children, there are other car shows coming up in addition to Frankfurt. In October, everybody heads to Tokyo, where Mitsubishi will unveil a sporty electric coupe based on the i MIEV they're currently piloting with power companies in Japan, as well as a new sedan concept called the Concept-ZT. If we had to guess, the ZT's styling foretells the next Galant. If that's indeed the case, it's an improvement.

The i MIEV Sport looks like an i up front, but the rest of the bodywork takes on a coupe profile. Like the regular (if you can call an experimental electric car that) i MIEV, the Sport uses a rear-midship layout, with the Li-Ion battery back under the passenger floor and other components in back beneath the luggage compartment. A pair of in-wheel motors drives the front wheels, and the motor packaged in back drives the rears. The car is painted in Mitsubishi's shade of what we here like to call "Subliminal Message Green," and the interior makes use of the company's Green Plastics, which we'll see first on the Concept-cX in Frankfurt. In short: a little odd-looking, but cool. Just like the regular i.

Follow the jump for the Concept-ZT.

Hat tip: Babez.de

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Continue reading Mitsubishi bringing i MIEV Sport, Concept-ZT to Tokyo

Mitsubishi bringing i MIEV Sport, Concept-ZT to Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whiplash a serious problem with many vehicles, says IIHS

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:05:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in Arlington, Va. has just concluded testing on some 75 vehicles' head restraint systems and after performing a simulated rear-end impact of 20 MPH, only 22 of the systems received the top score of "good."

At the head of the class was Audi's A4, S4 and A6, along with the Chevy Cobalt, Ford Five Hundred (Taurus, whatever) and its Mercury counterpart, Honda's Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Jag S-Type, Kia Optima, Merc E-class, Nissan Sentra and its lesser sibling the Versa, Subaru's Impreza, Legacy and Outback, as well as Volvo's S40, S60 and S80 (no surprise).

The flunkees included the Acura TSX, BMW 5-series, Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne, Caddy CTS, DTS and STS, Chevy's Aveo, the Honda Fit and Accord, Infiniti's M35, the Jaguar X-Type, Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Galant, Pontiac's Grand Prix, plus the Toyota Avalon and Corrolla.

Considering that the IIHS estimates that the injuries sustained to the back and neck in these types of collisions costs insurance companies around $8 mbillion dollars per year, their interest in the matter is obvious. Whether or not consumers will include this in their purchasing criteria is another matter however.

[Source: IIHS]

Whiplash a serious problem with many vehicles, says IIHS originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi to bail on U.S.?

Erin Mays — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 23:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi has thrown down the gauntlet. If dealers can't sell its new products like the Outlander and Lancer, the company may pull out of the United States completely. Mitsubishi's product boss, Shinichi Kurihara said as much at a press event, indicating that the company's recovery rides on the success of the vehicles. The company is down 16.5 percent to 36,536 units so far this year, and its Normal, Ill. plant employs just one shift. Predictably, dealers have responded by urging Mitsubishi brass to open up their wallets and spend more money on advertising here in the States.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi's May sales figures just arrived and the company posted a 3.9-percent rise in sales over May of 2005, which follows an even stronger 17.5-percent improvement last month over April of 2005.

[Source: Automotive News via AutoWeek]

(Thanks to Emulous1974 for the tip)

Mitsubishi to bail on U.S.? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jun 2006 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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