It is not always easy to make sense of a carmaker’s range, especially for the JDM. Toyota, Honda or Nissan have a wide array of models, some of which overlap. Some models are also shared across two or more marques – the nominally independent Japanese automakers being in fact more of a cartel than anything else. And then, we have the case of Mitsuoka.
In the case of the infamous boutique manufacturer, halfway between a kit and custom car shop and a bona fide carmaker, the range is slightly clearer. At one end, you have the small saloons, chiefly represented by the Nissan March-based Viewt for the past couple of decades. There are others on occasion, but that’s pretty much it. On the luxury end, you have the big Galue saloons, the latest of which are based on the Nissan Teana. In between these two, even deeper madness lies.
There used to be the (Nissan Sunny-based) Ryoga, the (Honda Accord-based) Nouera and now the (Toyota Corolla-based) Ryugi. But there is also a sub-species of Galue, called the Galue 2-04 for some unfathomable reason. Wikipedia says: “The 204 in the new model’s name is Mitsuoka’s internal code for the design: the 2 refers to the class of car while the 04 is the generation of the design.” Doesn’t make much sense to me, but then I’m not in Mitsuoka’s marketing department. Those smaller Galues were based on the Toyota Corolla Axio and appeared circa 2008.
The Galue Classic, as far as I understand, is a Galue 2-04 with a different (classic?) grille. And it seems the 2-04 was never made as a long-roof, whereas all the other aforementioned mid-level Mitsuokas, including the Galue Classic, were available as both saloon and wagon.
At least, I think that’s what the deal is. Bear in mind this is all deduced from empirical evidence, Wikipedia entries and the notoriously vague Mitsuoka website, so if anyone knows any different, please enlighten us in the comments section.
I could not photograph the interior, but I found a decent likeness on the hinter-webs. These added bits of leather (our feature car’s was white) and wood, while highly questionable from an esthetic perspective, do need to be there to help justify adding 30% on top of the price of the standard Toyota. Your hard-earned Yens at work, folks…
I love the fact that they grafted those Cadillac lights on a Corolla wagon. The Galue, whether of the smaller 2-04/Classic variety or of the fatter senior kind (“fat Galue” sounds truer to me than “big Galue ,” for some reason), always wore Caddy-like fins until the most recent ones, from 2015 on, which unaccountably switched to Fiat 500 rear lights. Even over at Mitsuoka, tradition just isn’t what it used to be.
The bulky Bentley-esque yap on the other end is less interesting to me, but that’s the one Mitsuoka figure is the model’s signature feature, so it’s been gradually getting bigger over the past couple of decades. There is no denying that nothing looks like a Mitsuoka Galue. Probably a good thing.
Related posts:
Future Classic: 2018 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon – Hybrid In More Ways Than One, by T87
CC Capsule: 1997 Mitsuoka Galue – Real Horrorshow, by T87
I guess the wagon is the Galue that holds it all together.
Once again, amazing that Mitsuoka has found a niche that allows it to seemingly thrive where none of us would have seen that happening.
You, T87, may be the single most knowledgeable Westerner of the range (with of course your readers a close second). Just think, if you ever moved back to Europe, you’d be very highly qualified to open a Mitsuoka beachhead over there.
A 30% premium for this Mitsuoka over a standard Toyota actually sounds like a relative bargain.
So its the back of a 90s DeVille and the front of… idk, an Austin Princess?
With the interior of a Toyota owned by a Peterbilt owner operator.
Ugh!
It’s foul but at least it’s distinctive – unlike what I see on the roads of the UK
Actually, I’d consider one just to be able to count the number of passersby getting whiplash and other associated and sundry WTF reactions.
Those are not Cadillac tail lights they are harvested from a Mazda Biante van much more common and easier to source, Yes model proliferation in the JDM must be a marketers nightmare and here they just make crawling along in traffic jams much more interesting and has increased the range of disposable cars because you simply can not get them fixed if you crash it, the other one like youve got is already a refrigerator,
I think the space aliens that landed Japan created Mitsuoka and the ones that landed in America created Stutz. Neither brand makes any sense to me and I think those goofballs aliens laugh every time they sell one. Perhaps if I had a pair of those sunglass from the cult classic movie They Live I could see the truth?
I’ve seen a few Galues but never a wagon – great find.
I’m not much of a Mitsuoka fan either but having rode in a Viewt a few years ago, the craftmanship was amazingly good – the new body panels fit perfectly and the wood trim inside was high quality…
Amazing that they remain in business and profitable enough to launch new models…
Mitsuoka makes the world a more interesting place, even if they did make the Orochi.
Just wait until Mistuoka adapt the \new BMW 4 series grille for a mid size sports coupe….
In a way the Mitsuoka, especially the small ones remind me of BMC producing Vanden Plas and Wolsey versions of the Mini, 1100 and 1800 Austin and Morris. Change the grille, do the seats in leather and add some wood trim. They are following the British tradition.