It’s no secret that the Eclipse Cross stands out among its competitors.
By MICHELLE YORK
In the words of Mitsubishi, “Like the ring of sunlight from behind the moon in a full eclipse, the sharply sculpted character line makes the Eclipse Cross appear as if the body was carved from a single block of metal”. That’s really waxing lyrical, but there’s no denying that it’s better looking than more than a few of its competitors. Part of the new Eclipse Cross’s Japanese craftsmanship is the new Red Diamond body colour – a 9-step process that includes the layering of a semi-transparent red and clear coating for a high-colour saturation.
I am not a fan of the split rear window but that’s a minor personal preference that certainly doesn’t detract from the vehicle. The cabin itself is extremely comfortable and laid out in a “human-centric” fashion, which means everything is within easy reach and you have all the added tech you might require. Inside and out the Mitsubishi Eclipse sparkles with a body shape that is a mix of fashion funky, practicality and boldness. As for calling it a “compact” SUV – I thought the boot could be slightly larger but the rest of it is not compact but full-sized and comfortable.
The all-new Eclipse Cross CVT is available in 4×2 and all-wheel drive, both powered by a 2,0-litre MIVEC engine, coupled to a finely-tuned 6-speed CVT with 6-step Sports Mode and Mitsubishi’s unique Super All-Wheel Control which distributes driving torque as required ensuring outstanding stability in all road and driving conditions. In the AWD version, the driver can choose the AUTO, SNOW or GRAVEL drive mode depending on road conditions. At the launch a couple of months ago we did a fair amount of gravel road driving which this compact SUV handled with ease. Test driving it under normal day-to-day usage won me over with its enjoyable driving experience. Mitsubishi’s unique Super All-Wheel Control offers agile handling for unequalled safety.
The vivacious little Eclipse Cross is a cheeky new offering from Mitsubishi that should tick all the boxes for young go-getters and trendsetters.
