GALANT EFFORT; Mitsubishi holds its own in tough midsize field.(News)

Byline: NATALIE NEFF

Fact: The midsize sedan segment accounts for one of every five vehicles on the road today. Fact: Toyota, Honda and Ford dominate this competitive market, with little guys like Mitsubishi barely making a dent. Fact: Mitsu hopes to capture just one-tenth of what that power trio will pump out for 2004. You heard right, one-tenth.

Doesn't sound like much, huh? Considering you are probably more likely to think of Mitsubishi as a maker of sporty cars like the Lancer Evo (or even the Eclipse) and rugged sport/utes like the Montero, you might ask why the company even bothers trying to take on the big dogs. Well, the funny thing about facts is that they don't often tell the whole story. One-tenth of Honda, Toyota and Ford's combined midsize output comes to 100,000 units-no small potatoes. If Mitsu reaches that goal it would be more than enough to make the Galant the best-selling Mitsubishi (accounting for almost 30 percent of the automaker's total) and by extension, its most important product.

With all that riding on the Galant's shoulders, it's no small event as Mitsubishi rolls out the car's ninth generation, the fifth for North America since 1985 and the first redesign since 1998.

In taking on the big players, Mitsu had to give its 2004 Galant compelling features, the first of which involves its size. At 190.6 inches long, 72.4 inches wide and 57.8 inches high, the Galant's exterior is bigger than the outgoing model all around (by 2.8, 3.9 and 2.1 inches, respectively). It is among the largest cars hunting in the midsize pack. Those increases allow the Galant to offer 3.7 cubic feet more interior space than the model it replaces and puts it in the middle of its competitors, something the '03 model with 97.6 cubic feet of interior space couldn't claim.

Then there's power. For 2004, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder model, in DE and ES trim levels, gets 160 hp, or 20 hp more than the '03. Even its wimpiest rival, the Vulcan-powered Ford Taurus, beats the old Galant by 15 horses, making the '03 Mitsu a virtual non-player on the power stage.

To get that increased output, Mitsubishi gave its four-cylinder badly needed updates, starting with an improved variable valve system that moderates lift and timing (called MIVEC for Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and lift Electronic Control). The engine also gets smoother, longer intake runners, an exhaust manifold with dual ports, increased compression (from 9.0:1 to 9.5:1), enlarged intake and exhaust valves, and weight reduced all over the place (pistons, connecting rods, crank, etc.).