The Car Domain

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation announcd the market launch of the Galant Fortis at affiliated dealerships throughout Japan yesterday.

It is the first new style sedan introduced by the company in Japan in in seven years. All models in the series have a 4-star rating for emission levels that are 75% below those required under Japan’s 2005 Emissions Standards.

According to their press release, the Galant Fortis has been developed to a product concept that called for “a global sporty sedan that delivers high and well-balanced levels of safety, comfort and environmental performance.”

This model is also the first one to employ a “new face” front visage that will be seen in othe Mitsubishi sedans to be introduced in future - an inverted-slant nose, traditional to Mitsubishi Motors sedans and incorporating a leisurely flowing engine hood line with good pedestrian protection, is combined with a trapezoidal grille.

The car is powered by a new compact and lightweight 4-cylinder 16-valve DOHC unit, with die-cast aluminum cylinder block and MIVEC variable valve lift and timing on both exhaust and inlet valves, which delivers superior emissions and mileage performance.

The powertrain uses a new 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC aluminum block engine, which earns a 4-star rating for emission levels 75% below those required by Japan’s 2005 Emissions Standards, mated to Mitsubishi’s INVECS-III 6-speed Sport Mode CVT that delivers responsive power transmission while returning excellent fuel economy.

The engine is mated to Mitsubishi’s INVECS-III 6-speed Sport Mode CVT that delivers responsive power transmission while returning excellent fuel economy. The 4WD models use the electronically-controlled 4WD system well-proven on Outlander and Delica:D5 which splits torque feed to the front and rear wheels as required to match different driving conditions. A dial selector allows the driver to switch between three drive modes: 2WD, 4WD AUTO and 4WD LOCK.

The Galant Fortis series comes in three major trim levels distinguished by external appearance and interior trim: EXCEED, SUPER EXCEED and SPORT.

- EXCEED: Entry grade with full-functionality and comprehensive convenience and amenity specifications.
- SUPER EXCEED - Uptown exterior and interior looks provided by: classy chrome parts (front under grille, headlight and trunk lid moldings); 16-inch alloy road wheels; leather/Granlux*3 seat upholstery; wood grain ornamentation panels; exclusive-design floor console; and high-contrast instrumentation.
- SPORT - Sporty bias with following as standard: Front and side airdams, 18-inch alloy road wheels and HID lights and front fog lamps that tweak up its aggressive looks; Sport suspension; paddle shifters; adaptive front lighting (AFS); cruise control; and steering wheel remote audio controls.
The SUPER EXCEED and SPORT trim levels are also available in NAVI PACKAGE versions which come with HDD navigation, rearview camera and other advanced features.

SPORT models ride as standard on 18-inch 10-spoke lightweight high-rigidity alloy road wheels shod with 215/45R18 tires (a factory-fitted option on SUPER EXCEED).

SAFETY FEATURES

• A high-rigidity platform with excellent impact safety performance and a revamped suspension underpin and support high levels of handling and response and safety performance.
• Safety features include a 7-airbag SRS system (driver and front passenger airbags, driver knee airbag, side and curtain airbags). The front occupant SRS dual-stage airbags which are deployed at one of two inflation pressures depending on the speed of the impact to provide the optimum restraining force and with the driver SRS knee airbag used on the Delica:D5. SRS side and curtain airbags are available as factory-fitted options on all models.
• Available as a factory-fitted option on all 2WD Galant Fortis models, active stability control (ASC) operates to prevent the vehicle from sliding on slippery surfaces as a result of sudden steering inputs.
• SPORT models comes standard with an adaptive front lighting system (AFS) in which auxiliary lights turn in the same direction as the steering wheel to increase the area of road illuminated and improve driver visibility at night. AFS is available as a factory-fitted option on other models.
• Rain-sensitive auto wipers that adjust wipe speed and interval to rain intensity and auto light control that monitors the intensity of peripheral light and turns the headlights on or off accordingly are factory-fitted options on all models.
• Adaptive front lighting (AFS) that improves the driver’s field of vision at night
• Standard on NAVI PACKAGE models is a rearview camera fitted to the trunk lid that feeds a picture of the area behind the vehicle to the navigation system display.
• All models come standard with an engine immobilizer and security alarm to deter theft.
• The front seats are designed to mitigate injury to the neck while energy-absorbing trim is used to protect occupants from head injuries.
• The engine hood, front fenders and front bumper all employ impact energy-absorbing structures to reduce injury to and protect pedestrians.

• Another interesting feature is the cocochi-interior that includes a deodorizing clean air filter and odor-eating head lining that work together to reduce and suppress body odor, cigarette smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOC).This offers a very clean and comfortable interior space.
• The windshield and front door windows use solar control glass to reduce penetration of the ultra-violet radiation that causes sunburn.
• Standard on NAVI PACKAGE trim levels is the Mitsubishi Motors Communication System (MMCS) which comprises a 30Gb hard disk drive audio/navigation system with 7-inch LCD screen, 2,000-title music server and ultra-fast route search.
• The Galant Fortis series is available with a Rockford Fosgate premium sound system giving superior sound reproduction as well as paddle shifters that allow the driver to shift gears without taking his hand off the steering wheel.
• Available as a factory-fitted option on NAVI PACKAGE trim levels is the Rockford Fosgate premium sound system that was well received on the Outlander and Delica:D5. The system uses a 650-Watt amplifier and nine speakers to deliver awesome high-fidelity sound reproduction assisted by the use of acoustic and damping material to seal off openings inside the doors and turn them into speaker boxes.