Shoots for the moon

Bold, angular styling should appeal to millennials and young-at-heart drivers

you got the hang of the optional 21cm touchscreen display (with built-in GPS) it worked a treat. It’s also Apple Car Play and Android Auto compatible.

There’s also a handy smartphone storage tray and USB connectors in the centre console, as well as a heads-up display that’s both height- and brightness-adjustable.

The multi-function steering wheel is tilt and telescopic adjustable, and to add to the practicality of the vehicle, the rear seats have a 60/40 split.

It was a scorcher when we were in Cape Town, but the heated seats will no doubt be a blessing in a few months.

We were up in the AWD for the first driving session which included a stretch of dirt road on the way out to Darling to catch a front seat view of Tannie Evita.

I’m yet to meet a hack who is wild about a CVT gearbox, but it does work well in traffic, and there was a lot of that around on our way out of the city.

We also found that the Eclipse Cross had a nice turn of speed at pull-off, before settling down to the speed limit.

Road manners were good, thanks to Mitsubishi’s renowned Super Allwheel Control that regulates engine torque as required.

We had a bit of fun on the dirt (in the gravel setting) and concluded that no matter what the level of your driving skill is, it’s a system that will, in all probability, save your life if things get totally out of control.

The road back to the airport was in the front-wheel driven version, and while obviously it is not as secure as its sibling around corners, there are enough safety features including seven airbags, side impact protection bars, ABS, active yaw control, EBD and much more to keep you ensconced safely.

Also included on both models are electric foldaway mirrors, halogen headlights, daytime running lights, dusk-sensing headlamps, headlamp washer, front and rear park assist and rain-sensing wipers. Oh, and you also get a full-size spare wheel.