Mitsubishi will showcase its facelifted 2009 Galant midsize sedan at this week’s Chicago Auto Show before the first cars hit showrooms in the U.S. later this month. For the 2009 model year, developers added a new front-end, which includes a new hood and grille plus a revised lower intake. Up back there’s also a new rear window, now slightly wider than before, new taillights and a redesigned bumper.

The 2009 Galant line offers four distinct trim levels and three performance levels. The performance-tuned Galant Ralliart tops the line, which for 2009 also includes the four-cylinder ES, the new four-cylinder Sport Edition, and the V6 Sport models.

The V6 Galant Ralliart range topper comes with a 258hp 3.8L V6, which develops peak torque of 258lb-ft at 4,500rpm (220lb-ft of torque is available from just 2,000rpm). This is enough to see the car accelerate to 60mph from rest in about six seconds. Base models come with a 160hp 2.4L inline four.

All models come with a Sportronic automatic transmission as standard, with a four-speed shifter for the four-cylinder models and a five-speed ‘box reserved for the V6 models.

2009 Mitsubishi Galant facelift