1 May 1980
Galant finally bowed out and Sigma was king.
A rather heavy-handed facelift consisting of square headlights, big plastic bumpers and ugly square instrument dials did nothing to dampen the rampant Sigma sales sensation.
Yet there were worthwhile steering and suspension improvements, the option of a five-speed manual gearbox and more equipment.
The 56kW/117Nm 1.6 was the base engine, the 1.8 was axed and the 64kW/145Nm 2.0 Astron continued to fly high, as did the more widely available 73kW/188Nm Astron 2.6.
A 115kW/200Nm 2.0-litre Astron Turbo GH Sigma was released in September 1981, featuring firmer suspension, a five-speed manual gearbox and fatter wheels and tyres.
