The eighth-generation 1996 model continued the 1992's design themes but a five-door station wagon (known in Japan as the Legnum, derives from the Latin word regnum, meaning regal power or rank) was added while the five-door liftback was dropped. This model won the 1996–97 Car of the Year Japan award for the second time. Despite being superseded in the US and Europe from 2003, it remained on sale in other countries until 2006. In Japan, the Legnum was sold only at a specific retail chain called "Car Plaza", while the Galant remained exclusive to Galant Shop locations. The Japanese market model was the first mass-produced car to use a gasoline direct injection engine, when a GDI version of the 4G93 inline-four engine was introduced.

This model was also produced in Barcelona, Venezuela, at the only Mitsubishi plant in Latin America. At the beginning, the Galant was marketed in that country under the "MX" and "MF" names in 1997 and 1998 (featuring a manual or INVECS-II automatic transmission respectively), then kept the Galant name until the end of its production in 2006. Although the equipment options were limited, the VR-4 appearance package was offered in that market.