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This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord

Sanjay · Dec 17, 2020 05:00 PM

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 01

A lot happens in a carmaker's history - some can sell 10 million cars in just 23 years, some formulas can remain unchanged for more than five decades while some pivoted straight into the world of SUVs. Which brings me neatly to this, the Mitsubishi Concept ZT, or what could have been the Galant. 

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 02

In case you were curious about how the Lancer looks like now.

Mitsubishi Motors aren't too hot on sedans these days, with the Lancer (yes, the old one the Proton Inspira was based on) and Mirage G4 (Attrage as we once knew it) being sold in very select markets - Malaysia not included. And don't forget they once produced the legendary Galant line-up of D-segment sedans.

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 03

Peak old-school cool: the 1989-1991 Mitsubishi Galant AMG. Yes, that AMG.

Years rolled by and Mitsubishi retired the Galant nameplate in 2012. However, it seems that the carmaker had plans in building an all-new model just a few years ago, if this Concept ZT model was any indication.

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This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 01

With an Evo-esque front fascia and aggressive, sharp lines and angles throughout the body, the supposed tenth-gen Galant looks far easier on the eyes than the odd-looking ninth-generation model. 

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 02

Interestingly, there's a sleek, sloping roofline that was not very common back a decade ago (wait...2007 was 13 years ago?!) - with panoramic sunroof no less.

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 03

The rear does call back a little bit to the Lancer of that time, albeit with slimmer tail lights and dual tail pipes.

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 04

Befitting it's concept status too, the interior is pure space-age. Check out that fully-digital dashboard and rear captain seats - Mitsubishi pulled out all the stops for this concept didn't they?

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 05

Interestingly, Mitsubishi planned to put a 2.2-litre diesel into it - good for 190 PS and 400 Nm. Transmission details were not shared, but it's said to be all-wheel drive, typical Mitsubishi DNA then.

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 06

Who knows what would've happened if Mitsubishi went ahead with the project. Maybe it could've gave the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry a better run for their money?

This stillborn Mitsubishi Galant was supposed to challenge the Camry and Accord 07

Alas, most of why the project was canned boils down to shifting consumer demands, thanks to customers preferring crossovers and SUVs to larger sedans. It's a trend we're still witnessing -  just look at how the 2020 Mitsubishi Xpander has sold out this year's inventory barely four months since its introduction here.

Sanjay

Senior Writer

With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.

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