Although Mitsubishi has suffered from a

certain amount of invisibility in the U.S. market the past few years, this

competent carmaker hasn't given up on America, and the new Diamante is

proof. The Diamante is the flagship of this conglomerate company's automotive

division, an elegant, stylish offering that delivers a sophisticated luxury

look and feel at bargain prices.

Diamante was first introduced to the American car buyer in 1991. The

product theme for this second generation Diamante is "Built for Living,"

a slogan that guided the redesign and re-engineering of the car. This means

that the changes integrated into the new design were strongly influenced

by feedback from owners of the preceeding generation.

Judging by the end result, which is manufactured at Mitsubishi's facilities

in Adelaide, Australia, this research and development approach works very

well indeed.

When you're shopping in this market, what you want is luxury touches

coupled with sporty handling and plentiful power, all wrapped in a conservative

but stylish package.

We'd say the new Diamante is right on target. The new shape is smoother

and more contemporary than its slightly dowdy predecessor, a look that

resembles recent offerings from upscale BMW lines.

The Diamante looks aerodynamic and it is. Mitusubishi wind tunnel tests

show an exemplary drag coefficient of 0.28. That's considerably lower than

most competing sedans, which usually list figures around 0.32. This contributes

to respectable fuel economy numbers--18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway--as

well as quiet operation.

Reducing the overall weight of the car by an astounding 300 pounds also

contributes to fuel economy, as well as improved performance. This was

accomplished by increasing the amount of aluminum in the chassis. Even

more impressive, Mitsubishi achieved its weight reductions while simultaneously

expanding the car's dimensions and improving chassis rigidity.

Stylists gave the front end a vee-shaped grille and integrated it into

the molded front bumper to give Diamante its own distinctive face. The

frameless side glass allows the eye to travel along the side of the car

without interruption.

The generous trunk has a squared off, rather sassy look that also contributes

to the commodious interior. Perhaps Mitsubishi will add an interior cargo

net next year to help secure grocery bags and make it easier to retrieve

the wandering grapefruit. An accessible yet unobtrusive space has been

made for the optional 10-stack CD player and this, plus a trunk liner mat,

added $758 to the cost of our test car.

The Diamante offers a choice of models, either the well equipped base

ES or the even better equipped LS. Since both models are mechanically identical,

the differences are in trim details. For example, the ES comes standard

with a cloth interior, while the LS has leather. The ES is equipped with

15-inch aluminum alloy wheels and tires, while the LS travels on 16-inch

bright-finished wheels. Both models feature four-wheel disc brakes, with

antilock available as an option. Our test car's ABS system was baked into

a $2561 Luxury Convenience Group option package which also included an

eight-speaker Infinity upgrade audio system, keyless remote entry, a driver

info display, a child restraint seat and a Homelink System.

Standard creature features abound in both models, which contributes

significantly to the Diamante's value story. The basic ES, for example,

includes automatic climate control, an AM/FM/cassette sound system and

power windows, mirrors and door locks in its purchase price--$30,460, including

a $470 destination charge.

In keeping with the sporty image, the up front seating offers supportive,

yet very comfortable, buckets. The center console houses the shifter, emergency

brake, mandatory cup holders and storage for small items. Both models have

illuminated vanity mirrors in both of the visors. However, speaking of

visors, we were a little surprised to note the absence of extension panels

to keep the sun from sneaking around a lone visor and zapping the driver

right in the eyes. It's a small omission, but it seems inconsistent with

the Diamante's otherwise high standard content.

The Diamante, like all cars in this class, has plenty of space up front

for legs, hips, elbows, shoulders and head. Thanks to its increased size,

it also measures up well in rear seat space, although here the dimensions

rate as average. Child-seat anchors are standard on all Diamantes, and

an integrated child safety seat is available as an option. Diamante is

one of the few cars to provide a three-point seat belt/shoulder harness

for the middle passenger in the back seat.

A peek inside the glovebox brought forth the owners manual which was

a pleasant surprise. It seems exceptionally well organized and quite readable

compared to some from other manufacturers, which are so filled with attorney-driven dialogue as to be nearly useless.

The engineers and product planners decided not to confuse the issue

with powertrain or driveline options. They simply offer their best effort,

a 3.5-liter V6 which produces 210 hp at 5000 rpm and enough low end torque

to make for easy departure from a standing start. This is essentially the

same V6 that propels the much heavier Montero sport-utility, and it yields smooth, respectable

punch harnessed to the much lighter Diamante.

The V6 is paired with an exceptionally smooth-shifting four-speed automatic

transmission that includes Mitsubishi's Adaptive Transmission Control Management

(ATCM). What this means is that the transmission's computer controls are

capable of electronically learning the driver's style and modifying the

shifting strategy to gain optimal performance and fuel efficiency as well

as smooth power transitions.

Lifting the hood reveals a tidy, well laid-out engine compartment--as

long as it's daylight. Night inspections could be a problem, however, since

there's no light under there, another small but puzzling omission. It seems

even more inconsistent in contrast with the thoughtful battery housing,

which is completely encased. It isn't often that a battery actually blows

up, but they do sometimes ooze acid at the posts and with this approach,

the engine compartment is completely protected from that caustic substance.

While the ride is soft and compliant enough to please luxury car passengers,

the suspension is stout enough and responsive enough to be able to handle

twisty-turny roads competently. Although the Diamante's overall dynamics

are skewed in favor of comfort, the feel is firm, controlled and contemporary.

And braking performance is consistent with other cars in this class.

Vision is good from the driver's seat, too--no big blind spots to hinder

or annoy. And with controls and gauges well placed, the car feels comfortable

and pleasureable to drive as well as responsive.

Mitsubishi wants the Diamante to make a statement on behalf of the corporation,

and we'd say that the message comes through loud, clear and positive.

Diamante is handsome, nicely finished, well equipped and attractively

priced. It competes with some outstanding players in the entry luxury segment--the

Lexus ES 300, Infiniti I30, Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3-Series, Mazda Millenia

and new Cadillac Catera, to name just a few.

With competition like that, backed by lots of TV advertising dollars,

it's easy to see why the Diamante has been something of an open secret.

Visibility is expensive, and Mitsubishi's relatively small U.S. sales organization

doesn't have the marketing clout of, say, General Motors or Toyota.

Nevertheless, if you're shopping in this realm, we think the Diamante

merits a look-see. We also think you'll be pleasantly surprised.