Photo: Mitsubishi
It’s official, ladies and gents! Mitsubishi is bringing Eclipse back from the boneyard of discarded nameplates, albeit with a twist. That twist is the Cross appendix, which is a short take on the word “crossover.”
Indeed, boys and girls, Mitsubishi’s new sport utility vehicle is called Eclipse Cross and, as highlighted in a previous story, it will debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in March. According to the Japanese automaker now controlled by Nissan, “there’s a striking new vision of motoring on its way. A dynamic new vehicle that combines the best of 100 years of automotive genius, with a passion for the future.”
Mitsubishi is right about the 100 years part, chiefly because Japan’s first-ever series-production automobile rolled off the assembly line in 1917. But whereas the Model A from the 1910s was nothing more than a Fiat Tipo 3 with minimal changes brought by the Japanese automaker, the all-new Eclipse Cross is an in-house affair.
Slotted above the ASX but below the Outlander, the Eclipse Cross features a coupe-like sloping rear roofline and a steeply raked rear window. From the teaser images dropped today, it’s obvious that Mitsubishi is playing the exterior design card well. Combining the styling cues of recent concept vehicles with Mitsubishi’s trademark SUV aesthetics, the Eclipse Cross is quite a looker in its own right.
In terms of space, it’s believed the new kid on the block will rival the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar. Underneath all that sheet metal, a shortened Outlander platform underpins the Eclipse Cross. The vehicle architecture will be offered in front-wheel-drive guise as standard, with all-wheel-drive being an optional extra. A multi-link rear suspension is in the offing for the Eclipse Cross too.
Detailed specifications have yet to be revealed by Mitsubishi, but all pointers lead toward a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo (120 hp and 200 Nm) and a 2.2-liter turbo diesel borrowed from the ASX and Outlander. The no-cost stick shift will be joined by a CVT in the gasoline-powered engine’s case, plus a conventional automatic for the oil-chugging powerplant. Regarding the latter, 150 horsepower and 360 Nm should do the trick. At the present moment, it's not known what powertrain the Eclipse Cross will use for the U.S. market.
Mitsubishi is right about the 100 years part, chiefly because Japan’s first-ever series-production automobile rolled off the assembly line in 1917. But whereas the Model A from the 1910s was nothing more than a Fiat Tipo 3 with minimal changes brought by the Japanese automaker, the all-new Eclipse Cross is an in-house affair.
Slotted above the ASX but below the Outlander, the Eclipse Cross features a coupe-like sloping rear roofline and a steeply raked rear window. From the teaser images dropped today, it’s obvious that Mitsubishi is playing the exterior design card well. Combining the styling cues of recent concept vehicles with Mitsubishi’s trademark SUV aesthetics, the Eclipse Cross is quite a looker in its own right.
In terms of space, it’s believed the new kid on the block will rival the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar. Underneath all that sheet metal, a shortened Outlander platform underpins the Eclipse Cross. The vehicle architecture will be offered in front-wheel-drive guise as standard, with all-wheel-drive being an optional extra. A multi-link rear suspension is in the offing for the Eclipse Cross too.
Detailed specifications have yet to be revealed by Mitsubishi, but all pointers lead toward a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo (120 hp and 200 Nm) and a 2.2-liter turbo diesel borrowed from the ASX and Outlander. The no-cost stick shift will be joined by a CVT in the gasoline-powered engine’s case, plus a conventional automatic for the oil-chugging powerplant. Regarding the latter, 150 horsepower and 360 Nm should do the trick. At the present moment, it's not known what powertrain the Eclipse Cross will use for the U.S. market.
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