The new Galant also makes a stronger styling statement. Not everyone agrees on the success of the design, but there's no disputing it's fresh and different. Head on, the Galant brings to mind the Mitsubishi Endeavor and Outlook SUVs. A dominating, vertical bar splits the grille, the outboard ends of which bend upward as if it's grinning. Sculpted headlight housings cover the forward edges of the front fenders. A strong, fully integrated, one-piece bumper and lower fascia with inset foglights complete the presentation.

The profile of the Galant avoids the traditional box-on-box look commonly associated with conservative mid-size sedans. The roofline picks up from the graceful sweep of the hood and arcs cleanly over perfectly proportioned side windows. Door handles are perfect matches of each other with easy-to-grasp, full-round pulls. Wheel arches are mildly blistered and circular, wrapping concentrically around the tires. The deck lid seems truncated, as if it were abruptly chopped off when somebody realized it was getting too long to stay in balance with the front overhang. The aerodynamicists argue this works well in a wind tunnel, by way of relaxing the air flow over the rear of the car, but on the street, it's a bit of a visual hiccup.

The view from the rear is something else, almost as if different people designed the two ends of the car. Where the front is soft and sculpted, the back is angular and carved, trending much more toward the vertical than the opposite end of the car. Adding to the awkward, not-quite-finished look, the license plate hangs off the lower edge of the rear bumper, almost as if it were an afterthought. The GTS presents a much more finished rear departure, with a nicely tailored, understated spoiler lip along the trailing edge of the trunk lid and modular-looking taillight assemblies.