1997 Mitsubishi Diamante A luxury surprise from Down Under. By Helen V. Hutchings, New Car Test Drive .com

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.