LAST ‘PURE’ MITSUBISHI FACES AN UPHILL BATTLE
Beleaguered automaker did a decent job on Eclipse Cross, but its competition is stiff
Once a fanboy tuner powerhouse, but more recently a 98-pound weakling among the Japanese car companies operating in North America, Mitsubishi Motors will — through its recent alliance with Renault and Nissan — put on some much-needed muscle in the form of new product and technologies, thanks to a mutual-sharing agreement.
This makes the Eclipse Cross crossover, introduced late last year for 2018, something of a denouement; it is likely the last “pure” Mitsubishi vehicle to roll off the assembly line.
Clearly the right product at the right time — a compact-sized soft-reader — the Eclipse Cross (Mitsubishi cashing in whatever name equity it had with the gone and lamented Eclipse sport coupe) is nonetheless competing against a long and very established list of competitors. What does it have going for it? For one thing, the Eclipse Cross certainly is distinctive. It has to be, considering the depth and breadth of the competition, which includes Nissan Qashqai, Subaru Crosstrek, Mazda CX-3, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, Buick Encore, Ford EcoSport, Chevrolet Trax, Nissan Kicks, Mini Countryman and Fiat 500X.
So, the Eclipse Cross makes a case for the hearts and minds of Millennials and gen Xers with a fastback-shaped roof profile and distinct character lines. Its shapely (or over-styled, depending on your outlook) rear end comprises a pronounced liftback offset by the high-mounted, arrow-shaped rear lamps and horizontal division of the raked rear window. When illuminated, the tubular LED brake lights and the central LED high-mount stop light form a single bar of light running across the tail.
Under the hood is a 1.5-litre turbocharged — a first for Mitsubishi crossovers — four-cylinder engine with direct injection, mated to a continuously variable transmission. With 152 horsepower (at 5,500 rpm) and 184 pound-feet of torque (at 3,500 rpm), it’s a strong little unit within its class, though it still has to contend with the crossover’s 1,590-kilogram avoirdupois.
It has its work cut out for it when the terrain gets hilly, still delivering the needed power but with a much gruffer tone and causing the continuously variable transmission to step down a couple of its eight “gears.” Flicking the oversized paddle shifters and using the sport mode manual override can prove useful on those occasions when higher revs are called for. Fuel economy for the week, which was mostly on four-lane and secondary highways, was a frugal 8.8 L/100 km.
Keeping in mind the Eclipse Cross is not some sort of Evo-lite, one will find its ride and handling acceptable. There’s actually a fair bit of high-tech trickery between the wheels, starting with the standard Super All-Wheel Control (S -AWC), Mitsubishi’s integrated vehicle dynamics control system. S -AWC incorporates a brake-activated Active Yaw Control system, which manages the torque feed and brake force at individual rear wheels. The rest of the setup is fairly conventional, with MacPherson struts up front, a multi-link rear suspension, and front and rear stabilizer bars. There is some body lean when cornering. The electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering has a light weight to it and provides reasonable communication with the road.
The cabin is strictly conventional, with a lot of hard plastic, silver and black trim pieces and a monotone colour scheme. There’s plenty of headroom and legroom up front, and a reasonable amount of room for backseat occupants of average dimensions. However, taller passengers will have to duck when climbing into the rear seats.
Standard features across the model lineup (ES, SE and GT) include air conditioning, heated front seats, heated side-view mirrors, rear spoiler, 18-inch alloy wheels, rear-view camera, and seven-inch thin-type Smartphone link display audio featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a touchpad controller.
Whether it’s the Mitsubishi name, weak marketing, the presence of far more recognizable product from the more established players or merely being good when it needs to be great, the Eclipse Cross has its work cut out for it.