But times (and tastes) have changed, and buyers nowadays actually expect such cars to handle and stop, as well.

Its interior trim has a suitably sporty `look' in two-tone black and dark grey, enhanced by a leather-bound steering wheel and gear knob, though the airbag-equipped wheel could have been made a little smaller in diameter than the standard item.

The suspension system was lowered by 10mm and made slightly stiffer, in search of increased handling ability without sacrificing too much in the way of comfort.

Transmission choices are something else. Magna Sports V6 can have a 5-speed manual, but it is the first Australian-built car offered with a sequential-style automatic. Originally developed by Porsche in 1989 as the "Tiptronic", this concept has been adopted by several manufacturers under different names and is dubbed by Mitsubishi as a "Sports Mode" transmission.

Place the gear selector in `D' and it changes gears when its computer tells it to do so, or the lever can be slid sideways from `D' into a shorter slot....

This position only has a small movement fore and aft - push it forward and you go up a gear, pull backwards and come down a gear, holding in whatever gear has been selected in the display on the dashboard. It seems odd at first, as instinct has you trying to pull the lever backwards to change from first to second.

Changing gears manually in Sports Mode did not really make the shifts noticeably any faster, but it greatly enhances driving enjoyment as the correct gear for a corner is more easily found - an auto transmission that can be controlled without the need for some very fancy work with the shift lever.

NVH levels are equal to any standard Magna, as the designers refrained from going overboard in the choice of rubber and fitted its 16 inch alloys with 60-series tyres - a low enough profile to improve handling, but not low enough to cause any noticeable degradation of ride comfort or noise levels.

But the puzzling aspect of this `Sports V6' Magna is its engine.

I had confidently expected to find Mitsubishi's bigger 3.5 litre V6 lurking under the hood, but a company spokesman explained at the launch that "it could not be mated to either the 5-speed manual or Sports Mode auto".

Instead, it was initially disappointing to learn that this `sporty' version of an undeniably impressive sedan was powered by the venerable 3.0 litre V6 that has already done so much service for Mitsubishi (could the 3.5 be a possible Series II upgrade? The company spokesman smiled quietly, but was saying nothing…).

However, while the 140kW 3.0 litre engine does not make this Magna a `high performance' car (it's not going to beat V8s at the lights unless they are very old and tired), it does make the Sports V6 a good touring sedan.

Certainly comfortable at higher speeds, it hugs the road in an intimate manner when taken through corners, with the correct gear for the situation just a nudge away.

Which makes the standard cruise control and Speed Alert warning device very useful (for keeping your licence, that is), because it cruises so easily on the open road.

Fuel consumption on our test averaged 10.9 L/100km (26mpg), and it needs only regular fuel, though it might have been even better had I not been so constantly enthused by the handling.

As mentioned earlier, a standard-spec Magna can convert rear-drive devotees with its handling, and the Sports V6 makes that conversion even more likely with its `sit-flat' attitude in corners.

Undeniable appeal makes it an ideal candidate for options such as power windows, air conditioning, a sunroof or CD stacker, but even in basic trim the V6 Sports is a family sedan which recognises that many people actually enjoy the act of driving.