Making the most of a winning hand is Mitsubishi's strategy for 2009.

That strategy is heavy focus on the Lancer, arguably one of the company's most successful -- and desirable -- products.

The Lancer is a tough-looking, strong-performing compact car with head-turning styling.

Totally redone last year, the new model is light years ahead of the previous one, with more room, stronger performance and handling.

Even the base model of the Lancer looks the part of a little street racer, which might explain why you see so many of them driven by "tuners," young people who enjoy modifying and souping up compact cars.

To carry out its Lancer-based strategy, Mitsubishi is introducing the Ralliart, a sporty performance sedan that is topped only by the legendary Mitsubishi Evolution, an ultra-fast, tough-as-nails Lancer-based compact sedan.

The Ralliart has a 2.0-liter, 235-horsepower turbocharged four, all-wheel-drive, upgraded suspension and the automatic clutch six-speed transmission from the Evo.

The Ralliart, which draws from Mitsubishi's long successful rallying history, represents a good buy if you want a bit more performance and cornering than you get in the GTS -- itself a strong performer, but you're not quite ready for the rough-and-tumble Evo.

Speaking of the GTS, its a beneficiary of another part of Mitsubishi's strategy: putting more power in the Lancer. The GTS now is powered by a 2.4-liter, 168-horsepower, four cylinder engine instead of the old 2.0-liter, 142-horsepower four.

The main concern I have with Lancer is not quality -- that seems to be just fine. It's what I call presentation. Some of the interior materials are just OK in terms of quality, and the trunk compartment, which you don't see that often, is really shoddy, with a floor covering that moved around a lot in my tester.

Lancer prices range from $14,665 to $38,900 for the top of the line Evo. Fuel mileage is 16/22 to 22/30.

The other news for Mitsubishi is a refreshed Galant, their mid-sized sedan. It has a new front and rear end, additional features and trim, and new options as well.

The Galant comes in ES, Sport Edition, V-6 Sport and Ralliart, a sporty model that has a 258-horsepower V-6, a stronger sport suspension and brakes, and stability and traction control.

Prices range from $22,774 to $27,974. Fuel economy is rated at 16 to 25 mpg, or 20/27, depending on engine and model selected.