Road test review: Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross VRX

Monday, 15 February 2021

Mitsubishi has given the Eclipse Cross a facelift for 2021, as well as jamming a lot of gear into the top spec VRX.

MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSS VRX
Base price: $43,990
Powertrain and economy: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, 112kW/254Nm, continuously variable transmission, AWD, combined economy 7.7L/100km, CO2 177g/km (source: RightCar).

Mitsubishi has given the Eclipse Cross a face (and bum) lift for 2021.

Vital statistics: 4545mm long, 1805mm wide, 1685mm high, 2670mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 405 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Comfortable, well-equipped interior, eager and refined engine, lots of standard equipment.

The Eclipse Cross packs a better engine than the related ASX – a strong, revvy 1.5-litre turbo.

We don't like: It’s a bit generic from the rear now, the engine copes with teh CVT well, but it’s still a CVT…

Mitsubishi has refreshed its small/not small (as in it sells in the small segment, but is bigger than a lot of others in the same segment) Eclipse Cross SUV for 2021, with a new look and a load more goodies inside.

The top-spec VRX comes packed with standard equipment, as well as being AWD. That is a CVT though...

It looks like a swoopier ASX. Why didn’t they just go with “ASX Sport”?

Why indeed. After all, the Eclipse Cross sits on the same platform as the ASX, but gets a newer, better engine and a much higher quality interior than the ASX.

**READ MORE:

The Eclipse Cross’ new interior moves the touchscreen up higher on the dash and closer to the driver.

* New vehicle sales bounce back strongly

* New Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross premiering first in New Zealand

* Mitsubishi updates Eclipse Cross with plug-in power

An entirely new rear hatch differentiates the Eclipse Cross from the last model.

* Why our roads seem to be swarming with compact SUVs

The Eclipse Cross is essentially the last lingering hangover from the ‘Project Global’ effort between Mitsubishi and Chrysler in the mid-2000s that produced some truly awful cars, although to be fair, Mitsubishi managed to do far better work with the platform than Chrysler did.

Mitsubishi says the rear design is reminiscent of the tailgates from its past SUVs. We just see the tab from a Weetbix box lid.

The Eclipse Cross is expected to be the last car on the platform following Mitsubishi’s induction into the fragile Nissan Renault alliance, and it is a damn fine thing to go out on.

While the ASX has essentially taken over from the Lancer (which, again, was on the same platform) as the car Mitsubishi regularly jam more kit into while simultaneously dropping the price, the Eclipse Cross is positioned above it, getting that aforementioned newer, better engine and swankier interior.

And that engine is a rather nice little thing indeed.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross remains a handsome and well-equipped small SUV.

The 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol unit produces 112kW of power and 254Nm of torque, which initially seems modest on paper, but in reality is a nicely responsive little unit that is happy to rev and gets its torque down nice and low (it peaks at 2000rpm), making it flexible and responsive.

It is also impressively smooth and refined, which may come as a shock if you have only driven some of Mitsubishi’s older petrol engines that can get rather strained and somewhat coarse at higher revs.

Okay, it is hooked up to a continuously variable transmission, but the engines flexibility and refinement rounds the worst effects of the CVT off at higher revs, while its delightfully torquey nature down low actually makes the reviled transmission a very respectable partner around town.

What about that nicer interior?

While the ASX’s interior has improved drastically over the years, it is still quite a plasticky place, with some nasty, hard plastics still lurking.

The Eclipse Cross still has quite a lot of plastic (as all modern cars do…), but they are of a nicer quality. The Eclipse Cross boasts a sensible, logical layout that is ergonomically pleasant and impressively comfortable. In fact, the biggest annoyance on the inside is the starter button that is obscured behind the steering wheel.

The facelift has seen Mitsubishi drop the touchpad from the centre console and go to a touchscreen perched high on the dash, which some people can’t get their head around, but it makes for far better visibility and less time spent looking away from the road. It is also a nicely responsive touchscreen, which makes a welcome change from Mitsubishi systems from not all that long ago…

So has Mitsubishi done its usual facelift trick of jamming a load more stuff in and dropping the price?

Yes and no. While it certainly has jammed more kit into the Eclipse Cross, this isn’t your bargain-priced ASX here, so as such the price doesn't get savaged quite so frequently.

Not that it needs to, mind you, because while it is more expensive than the ASX, sits smack in the meatiest part of the small SUV price range.

The top-spec AWD VRX model we drove sat at the head of the Eclipse Cross pricelist at $43,990 and was packed full of tech and equipment, such as keyless entry and start, dual zone climate control, an auto dimming interior mirror, automatic LED headlights, LED taillights, rain sensing wipers, 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 8 speakers, electrically-adjustable heated front seats, dual sunroofs, privacy glass, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and forward collision mitigation.

What have they done to the rear?

Depending on what you thought of the original, either massively improved it or totally ruined it.

The facelifted Eclipse cross drops the retro 90s-style split rear that had a reflectorised strip running between the rear window and vertical lower glass section of the rear hatch in favour of a more conventional rear hatch with a larger single window.

This means that while you can actually see out if the rear of an Eclipse Cross properly now, it doesn’t look anywhere near as cool, even coming across a bit awkward, with the sheet metal at the bottom of the window where the Mitsubishi badge sits looking quite like that cardboard tab on the top of a Weetbix box that you are supposed to use to keep the box closed, but it never really works because you ripped half of it off opening it in the first place because it was too early in the morning to be properly awake.

But the loss of the Honda CRX-tastic rear window is a small price to pay for the rest of the package, which is an impressively satisfying and capable thing.

Any other cars I should consider?

The VRX has no shortage of competition at its just-over-$40k price point, with range toppers like the Honda HR-V Sport, Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008, Skoda Kamiq, Seat Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross all crowding the space.

While most of the obvious competition is at the top end of their respective ranges, few actually manage to match the Eclipse Cross’ impressive level of standard equipment.

Larger, lower spec options include the Nissan X-Trail and Qashqai or Kia Sportage entry spec models, while top spec Toyota Yaris Cross and C-HR models are cheaper, but smaller.

Then, of course, there is the inevitable MG ZS which packs a lot of tech, but is cheaper, while the Suzuki Vitara Turbo is larger and cheaper.

Of course, if you want to show a bit of love to the planet, then your only hybrid options in the same size segment are the Subaru XV hybrid and Kia Niro hybrid which drop in around the same price as the Eclipse Cross.

But if you really want to go that way, then waiting for the PHEV version of the Eclipse Cross that is due very shortly will probably make the most sense of all…