Controversially named after a sports car produced until 2012, the new Eclipse Cross is Mitsubishi’s new contender in the highly-popular compact crossover segment.
Previewed by the 2015 XR-PHEV study, it’s the brand’s first product launched under Nissan ownership, although the latter had nothing to do with its development.
It slots above the ASX, known as the Outlander Sport in North America, and the Outlander, and it challenges the likes of vehicles such as the Nissan Qashqai/Rogue Sport, with a rather funky styling dominated by the X-shaped front end and split rear window.
Surprisingly, joining the taillights with a light strip that spans across the width of the rear windscreen glass, doesn’t affect visibility that much, as PitStop found in their review. They also note that the interior is quite nice, with quality materials, comfortable front seats, and plenty of room on the adjustable rear seats.
The floating-style infotainment system that can be controlled via a touchpad located near the gear selector, may take a couple of minutes to get used to, but once users figure it out, it turns out to be quite intuitive and easy to navigate through.
Powering the test car is a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine rated at 163hp, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, but buyers have the option of a CVT as well, along with a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel unit and all-wheel drive in Europe.
The petrol-burner would be enough for most consumers, as it’s quiet at normal revs, but it can become a bit noisy on the highway.
In the U.S., the new Eclipse Cross will go on sale this March with a starting price of $23,295.