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On the road, the Galant 240M exhibits very un-Galant like qualities of comfort and refinement. It absolutely absorbs everything that’s thrown at it—potholes, uneven surfaces, balking street vendors. The 240M becomes your personal space, cocooning you away from Manila’s noisy and rough environment. In terms of Noise, Harshness and Vibration (NVH) isolation, this car tops its class. The 2.4-liter inline-4 may not look impressive on paper, but it can rocket the 240M with sheer ferocity (in a whisper-quiet manner) that you’d begin to swear you’re in a 3.0-liter V6 save maybe for the aural experience. 100 km/h comes in no time, and this road-going Shikanzen will push north of 180 km/h if you desire. The engine’s mated to a 4-speed auto box with a manual override. Again, though the number of gears may look like a deficit, it’s well suited to the Galant’s engine characteristics.

In city traffic, the long hood and large overhangs and detrimental to the Galant’s overall sportiness (and ease of parking), but as you get used to the 240M, travel faster or both; it feels surprisingly nimble and responsive. The turning radius is tight, assuring you that the suspension people have gotten their homework right. The all-around independent suspension set-up keeps the Galant highly stable and well-balanced at any speed. Do expect some degree of body roll, but it’s not discontenting as to cause any sort of alarm or panic.

At the end of the day, I can’t help but think that the new Mitsubishi Galant 240M is a great car. It totally took me by surprise given its bigger heft. But it makes a great addition to the executive car segment thanks to its excellent mix of performance, comfort and of course, value for money. The arrival of the new Galant may mark the end of the compact Galant sports sedan of yesterday. But size aside, this new one keeps the performance baton alive. With its enviable combination of controlled aggression and uncompromising comfort, the 240M is one serious car that’s definitely deserving of the Galant name.