Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Buyer's guide review

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is a family SUV that offers a blend of style, design, practicality, and technology and has the name of a famous sports JDM. It's not a luxury-based or performance-based vehicle. But it has so many practical features to be acknowledged as a family SUV. It was created by crossing the features of the legendary Mitsubishi Eclipse with the body of an SUV. It's a compact crossover vehicle produced by Mitsubishi Motors since 2017. Even though car enthusiasts are not happy about the finish of this car or its name, it was able to hold a fair share in the family vehicle market.

According to its users, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is far from perfect due to its rough ride and poor fuel economy. However, it surpasses other SUVs in the Sri Lankan market, such as the Honda CR-V and Honda Vezel, due to the extensive range of options available. The Eclipse Cross comes in three variants: G, G-Plus (The most popular one in Sri Lanka), and G-Top, and offers five trims: ES, LE, SP, SE, and SEL. The first generation of this vehicle was produced from 2017-2020, and the second generation of this vehicle (Which is not available in Sri Lanka) was released in 2021.

Like every other Mitsubishi vehicle, Eclipse Cross also has one powertrain for all its variants. It has a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces a maximum power of 161 horsepower (120 kW) and a maximum torque of 250 Nm, paired with an 8-speed continuously variable transmission system (CVT). You can achieve a speed of 100 Km/h from 0 Km/h within 10.2 seconds and a maximum speed of 205 Km/h with this engine. This simple but reliable powertrain is one of the many reasons why this vehicle became so popular among family SUV users. It was designed to provide a balance of performance and fuel efficiency, making it suitable for both city driving and freeway driving.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross was initially offered as a petrol vehicle, but then a diesel and PHEV plug-in hybrid version (Not available in Sri Lanka) of this vehicle was also released in 2019 and 2020.

When it comes to the performance of this vehicle, it offers sufficient acceleration for your everyday driving. Its turbocharged engine provides a good low-end torque, which helps the driver with quick starts, overtakings, and makes city driving more responsive. However, compared to ordinary automatic transmissions, CVTs are reported to be less responsive. And it may produce a noise under heavy acceleration. If we consider the fuel economy of this vehicle, you can have an average fuel consumption between 10-12 kilometers per liter depending on where you drive and whether it’s equipped with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Also, the suspension system of this vehicle is tuned for comfort, absorbing most road imperfections effectively. And since the Eclipse Cross is a lightweight vehicle, it only requires a small tractive effort from the engine and tires to get moving.

But if you're looking for an exciting driving experience, the Eclipse Cross is more practical than thrilling.

The exterior of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has a modern design with a dynamic shield grille, LED headlights, DRLs, and so many compact SUV segments. It’s bigger than the ASX but smaller than the Outlander. It has a sharp front and back-end design, along with bold, stylish, and modern features. The facelifted Eclipse Cross was released to the market in 2021.

If we consider the dimensions of this vehicle, it is approximately 4.4 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and 1.68 meters tall. It has a wheelbase of 2.67 meters, along with a ground clearance of 21.5 centimeters, which allows it some light off-road capability. It also has a turning radius of 10.6 meters, which makes this vehicle maneuverable in tight spaces and urban environments. Its 60-liter fuel tank provides a reasonable range between your fuel stops.

There's nothing uniquely special about the exterior of this vehicle, but it offers some advanced features that you can't say no to. For example, it has sleek LED headlights and daytime running lights, along with a powerful set of fog lights that enhance visibility, while adding a premium touch to the vehicle. And if we consider its dynamic shield front grille, it has some fake vents that give this vehicle a bold and aggressive look. It's called the shield because this chrome grill is designed to reduce the damage to the vehicle and its passengers during an impact. The actual air vents of this vehicle are located below its number plate. Also, some parking sensors along with one of the 360° cameras.

If we consider the side exterior of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, we can see that it has a roofline that slopes towards the rear. This design distinguishes it from other SUVs while giving it a sporty and aerodynamic profile. You can also see some sharp character lines running along its sides. The Eclipse Cross offers aluminum alloy wheel designs from 16 to 18 inches, depending on the trim level.

As you can see in Figure 05, the split rear window of the Eclipse Cross, flanked by dual spoilers, is one of its most unique features. Along with its sharp LED rear lights that stretch across the tailgate, the rear design of this Eclipse Cross enhances visibility and gives the vehicle a modern, distinctive profile. The tailgate of this vehicle has a high-mounted brake light and a large Mitsubishi emblem, along with integrated reflectors.

The boot space of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is designed to be practical in order to fulfill the needs of families who require huge cargo capacity. It offers approximately 640 liters of cargo space with all seats in the place. By folding down the 60/40 split rear seats, you can expand the cargo capacity to approximately 1300 liters. It has a spare wheel stored underneath the boot space as well. Also, if we consider the roof of this Eclipse Cross, a panoramic sunroof is available on its higher trims, which extends over both front and rear seats, providing an open ventilation method to the cabin. The doors have a wide opening radius, making it easy for the passengers to get in and out of the vehicle.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross offers its users a functional and comfortable interior combined with modern technology. The piano black plastic panels give this vehicle a luxurious look. Soft-touch surfaces, durable plastics, and leather seats could also be seen in higher trims. This is a fine five-seater vehicle that offers ample headroom and legroom for its passengers.

It has a multi-functional steering wheel, which allows you to control the infotainment system and the gauge cluster while you drive. An automatic HUD could also be seen in the dashboard above the gauge cluster to show you the current speed and other measures. The infotainment system has features like Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, voice control, etc. Below that, there are buttons and knobs available for the climate control system and other controls. If we consider the gauge cluster of this vehicle, it has two large gauges for the speedometer and the tachometer, along with a Multi-Information Display (MID) between them to show trip details, fuel details, temperature, and other warning alerts.

All doors have soft-padded armrests and door bins that could store your bottles and other stuff. The front seats have heating options and lumbar support available in the higher trims, while the 60/40 split folding rear seats can slide forward and backward to optimize space. Several storage compartments are available in the interior, including a glove box, a center console bin with USB power outlets, and cupholders. The center armrest of the rear seat also folds down with two cupholders, and the seat also has ISOFIX points, which are easily accessible.

Since this is a family vehicle, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross offers a comfortable and practical driving experience. The steering wheel is light, and given the turning radius of this vehicle, it is easy to park and navigate through tight spaces. The interior of the Eclipse Cross is relatively quiet, with minimal road and wind noise. Some users believe that this vehicle is most suitable for urban settings, while others think that it lacks sporty handling and steering feedback.

If we consider the safety features of this vehicle, it has a comprehensive airbag system, including front airbags, side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, and driver's knee airbags. Active safety systems such as forward collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and blind spot warning are offered to prevent accidents. These options make Eclipse Cross reliable for drivers and passengers alike.

As of June 2024, the average international market price for Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross ranges between 17 million LKR and 19.5 million LKR, depending on its trim. You can find the latest price with more details and cars of this model for sale from the following link Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Latest Price