There hasn’t been much written on CC about this Mitsubishi as yet, but what there is has not been too complementary. And I would be quite inclined to follow suit and kick this Diamante down the pike some more, but I may have stumbled upon one of the few of its kind worth saving, and certainly worth writing up. Probably explains why it’s still around and in such a nice shape.
Most people, myself included, seem to like the first generation Diamante (1990-95), especially in its “faux-door hardtop” guise, which only Japan and the US were privy to, and the wagon. It was like a FWD version of a big BMW, with a nice 3-litre V6 and plenty of toys. It was a surprise hit for Mitsubishi during the dying days of the Bubble Economy and helped the carmaker gain a foothold into a new market segment.
Following that kind of success was bound to be a difficult undertaking, and so it proved to be. The second Diamante arrived in January 1995, initially as a sole pillared hardtop. The previous generation’s six-light saloon was dropped, and the Australian-made wagon (above) only joined the range in 1997.
The initial engine choices for foreign markets (chief among which were North America and the Asia-Pacific region) were the bigger 3.5 litre V6, but Japanese clients were given the option of either 2.5 or 3.0 litres — not an atypical situation. Also as per usual, the JDM cars had everything from low-powered poverty-spec fleet car to gadget-filled quasi-sports saloon. Our model is one of the latter.
The former, i.e. fleet cars, had been a key part of the first gen’s surprise hit: taxi and police cruiser versions were a very welcome way for Mitsubishi to increase economies of scale. Alas, with the second gen, only three police departments came back for more: the second generation’s reputation was really atrocious, and that became a well-known fact early on.
So here’s the best of a bad bunch: the 30M. Under the hood is the well-known 3G72 3-litre V6, but this was the DOHC 24-valve MIVEC version churning out 270hp. The North American market cars, though endowed with the 3.5 litre engine, only had 210hp to offer. There were AWD versions, but those had to make do with less frenetic engine options; the 30M was a front-driver only.
The interior was uncooperative on the feature car (curse those big sunshades!), so here’s a factory photo of one. Toys unique to the better trimmed JDM cars included a head-up display, satnav and a distance/lane-keeping system. The wagons and foreign market cars had a 4-speed automatic fitted as standard, but the JDM saloons had a 5-speed auto.
Above: Mitsubishi Diamante JDM brochure, 1997-99; below: US-market Diamante LS, 2003-05
The Diamante lived its tranquil and uneventful existence through to the end of 2005 in Japan, but left the scene a bit earlier from North America due to slow sales, despite an extensive last-gasp rhinoplasty that the JDM cars never got. The only way to tell the Japanese Diamantes apart was the rear lights, which changed slightly in 1997 and again in 1999. Nothing much changed under the hood though: the 30M kept its 270hp engine (shared with the GTO) till the end, but remained a closely-guarded JDM-only secret.
The actual top-of-the-line was the 30M-SE, which included BBS alloys as standard and other minor improvements. Our feature car has ugly aftermarket rims instead of the relatively discreet wheels it came off the production line with and might have been lowered some, but that’s not too shocking on a car like this.
In the end, the Diamante’s position became untenable: a growing Galant cannibalized the model’s lower end, and a shrinking customer base for big Mitsubishis in general meant that the ailing carmaker had to cut and run from that segment as a whole, after a mere decade and a half of partial success. Pretty good metaphor for Mitsubishi as a whole, really. This car’s gemstone-based name is kind of a misnomer, but then “Mitsubishi Cubic Zirconia” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
Related posts:
COAL Capsule #13: 1997 Mitsubishi Diamante LS–Rough, But No Diamond, by B3Quattro
Vintage Reviews: Car And Driver’s 1997 New Car Issue – Asian Brand First Drives, by GN
The rhinoplasty at the end of the run ruined the look for me, but I suppose put it more in line with the other offerings. Still, the original front end as seen here was simple, elegant, and interesting, looking far higher-market than its replacement.
I’ve been somewhat tempted by several of Mitsubishi’s offerings over the decades, and this one certainly looks quite good, the interior seems at least on par with the competition, and the exterior as seen here is understated but still interesting enough. Apparently the home market kept the best engines for themselves, perhaps I wish I hadn’t learned that.
Same here. I actually like the appearance of these; when new, they came off as being a step above a Camry or Accord. The schnozz job made them look more low rent… like a Mirage or or Sentra or Altima? I’m grasping a bit on that last one, as this was about the time that Mitsubishi fell off my radar. An acquaintance drove one of the facelifted Diamantes back in 2009 or so, and I only made the connection after seeing the image in this post; hers was even the same white color. Until now, I’d only remembered it as a generic Japanese sedan by Mitsubishi.
A coworker had a first gen wagon at the same time I drove a second gen Camry wagon. He and I would alternate driving to lunch and he pointed out that the Diamante had a considerably roomier interior, and he was right.
They were good looking and fairly reliable cars.
” a sole pillared hardtop. ”
A hardtop doesn’t have pillars .
-Nate
They do in Japan…
https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/japanese-four-door-hardtops/
Featuring photos of my old pillarless hardtop Laurel! As an aside, the first four Subaru Legacy generations were effectively pillared hardtops.
@ Tatra ;
As I said : a pillar means not a hard top .
I’m not a four door lover anymore but I think four door hard tops look great =8-)
-Nate
Called Magnas and the posher-versions Veradas here, the wagons were also designed in the land of Oz, and a rare export of a Japanese car to Japan. It also went to North America, where people queued up to buy other things.
Odd that they have a bad name: here, they have a perfectly decent one, and there are still many on the roads. It was a significantly more refined car than the end-of-cycle Holden and Fords of 1996, and always better-built. We also had a base model with the venerable 2.4 four. I’ve driven an auto and a manual of these, neither fast, but both rare enough, as no-one but the most tightfisted fleets bought it, and they disappeared soon. A few of the V6’s (3.0 and 3.5) were also sold here with 4wd, and all later got the 5-speed auto.
They’re quiet and very good long-distance cruisers with decent go and ok-enough handling, but unfortunately not outstanding for much else. QE2 turning circle, old-US weight steering, low seats with poor visibility, a huge boot (and arse) but nowhere near enough interior room for the exterior bulk. They also stayed around far too long, and even the remaining loyalists were put off by that Frenchman-designed final nose job, a stylistically-incompetent attempt to put a “face” on all Mitsus of the time, a disaster soon abandoned. Their over-stay (10 years, nearly!) and that final dud facelift was a prelude to Mitsubishi abandoning local carmaking here in 2007, as the very decent replacement 380, a modified 3.8 Galant, was mostly perceived as just another update and did not sell.
You live and learn.
Despite owning one of these, I didn’t know they’d actually gone ahead and offered the 2.4 four. I’d heard they were thinking about it, but didn’t know they had. Never saw any advertising for it, or promotion at the dealer. But then, Aussie manufacturers often were poor at getting the word out toward the end. Look at the four-cylinder Falcons – great engine/chassis combo but who knew, unless you kept up with the magazines?
We had a 3.5 KJ-series Verada for almost 20 years and 340,000km. Same colour interior as the pic above – we had to special-order it. Or maybe that was the colour we chose, Riversand, that we had to wait so long for. Beautifully comfortable, very well-assembled, really felt a class up from a Camry or the other locals – but then Mitsubishi in Japan did intend it as an executive car (so we were told at the time), not a mass-market sedan. The only things lacking to my mind were sound-deadening (road noise), back seat space, and a bit more suspension tuning/less understeer. Maybe the Ralliart or AWD variants were what I needed there.
In 3.5 form the car had too much engine. I won’t often say that, but despite carting around two hefty teens and a boot full of luggage, and towing, we never needed all the power that engine had. I’m thinking Mitsubishi gave it the 3.5 to ‘keep up’ with the Holden (3.8, later 3.6) and Falcon (4.0). The car’s problem was never power but economy, though I’m doubting the 3.0 would have been much better. It was one heavy, strong car, as I sadly found out.
I rented a 03 rhinoplasty 3.5 engine sedan from Avis in Melbourne it went great in a straight line but I made the mistake of going up in the Dandenong ranges with it, not the best on a twisty road at all, nice enough to ride in though lots of toys but that was before I saw the exJDM versions in NZ which are now quite rare in going order.
Not a lot of Diamantes left here now, but they were popular and had a good name here too. My husband had a 3.5 (years ago and before my time) and although he doesn’t particularly like cars, he still remembers the Diamante fondly, noting it was very well built and supremely comfortable. I last drove one (a 3.5 Verada courtesy car) for a few weeks in early 2008, and concur that the interior was good quality and the seats super-soft. Also super-super-soft was the handling; driving it was a unique and memorable experience – I’d arrive at work, handbrake on and switch off, and then wait for the forward-backward rocking to stop. It was like deconstructed seasickness. But watery dynamics aside, I think the Diamante is a decent enough car inside and out, well, until Olivier Boulay’s rhinoplastic nose arrived.
Boulay – I was trying to think of that guy’s name! Now I can forget it, and (hopefully) what he did.
That front end restyle is everything I hate about 2000s to current car styling, I despise the headlights pulled back to the windshield look! Such a shame for what I’d call the original the best looking front end of its segment, even if a bit watered down from its predecessor.
My vague recollection, and I was pretty young at the time – and not automotively inclined, was that I for some reason thought these were trying to be a flagship model and compete against the Legend and whatever alphabet soup Lexus offered. I also vaguely recall reading that the original Sebring was based on the Diamante (?). Outside of the Eclipse and Evolution Series I don’t really remember too much of where Mitsubishi was 20 years ago.
I generally like the looks of the pre-facelift, but find the taillights awkward in a way I can’t quite describe in an objective fashion.
Tatra, what is that blue box on the ground? Some kind of anti theft device?
It is, but it’s to ensure you pay for the parking.
What does the red handle to the left do?
I had a TL 2004 AWD Magna for 12 years until a Hilux rear-ended it. Loved it! Much grippier than FWD. Drivetrains on AWD’s were from Evo 6/7 GTA (auto version) apart from the 3.5 V6 of course. Only regular maintenance for 230’000KM. Most of this on original battery!
Between the split grille and the ‘parenthesis’ taillights, I always thought these were trying to be knock off BMWs.
I’ve got the 1995 Diamante 30M in silver.100% all original,standard wheels etc.267 Hp 3 litre Mivec V6 and 5 speed tiptronic transmission.183,000 kilometers on the clock.A second hand import from Japan.Fantastic car to drive.Very good multi link suspension.Lots of power.It can really boogy if you put your foot down.Now 27 years old.I’d never sell it.