![]() The puzzlement I mentioned feeling over the brand’s utility lineup remains. It’s higher than what Mitsubishi advertises, but it’s quite acceptable given the cold winter temperatures, the all-wheel-drive system and the (slight) sportiness of the crossover. The paddles affixed to the steering column do little to enhance the driving experience, with the “false” gear shifts invariably followed by knocks this is not really something that will inspire driving joy.Īs for fuel consumption, it never dropped below 10.0L/100 km for me over the several days I drove it this past December. On the plus side, when at cruising speed the Eclipse Cross offers a quiet ride – except for that mysterious left-side wind noise, of course! It also needs mentioning that the elastic effect of the CVT is still there, still noticeable. The turbo engine, meanwhile, sings loud and strong when the accelerator is pressed to the floor, though here again this is a common characteristic of a vehicle working with a CVT. I also found the steering to be a little lacking in precision, though to be fair I’ve driven vehicles that performed worse in this regard. This element is definitely not one of the Eclipse Cross’ strong points a more muscular braking system would be most welcome. But still, the Eclipse Cross could really do with a firmer touch, especially given that its stiff chassis could handle it easily! Roll is pronounced when taking corners at speed, and when braking heavily, the front of the vehicle dives just a little too much in the direction of the asphalt for my taste. I’m not the biggest fan of this system that supposedly makes life easier for motorists on the contrary, it obliges the driver to take their eyes off the road to find the application they want.Īctually, it’s not quite as soft as the Outlander’s, so there’s that. And the elevated touchpad to the right of the gear shifter is no solution. I like the shape of the touchscreen, but toggling between menus is still a bit difficult. The glossy black main surface is pretty, but will inevitably wear over time, especially in the area between the two front occupants where much of the action takes place. In my view the model’s design is a successful one… but the ergonomics, not so much. ![]() The Eclipse Cross is no exception its dashboard design is totally unlike any other in the automaker’s lineup. The dashboards in each of them have almost nothing in common save for a few buttons that are common to all. Maybe it was the left-side mirror’s fault…Ī quick look at the Mitsubishi lineup is all it takes to see that the manufacturer’s vehicles have not been developed in homogenous fashion. Otherwise I noted no anomalies regarding the frame. I can at least confirm that the vehicle’s exterior is well put-together, although a wind noise on the left side did spoil things just a bit over the course of my test-drive period. Who knows, maybe this was Mitsubishi’s chosen way to draw attention to its product. This may a good or bad thing in your book, but the Eclipse Cross leaves almost no one indifferent when it comes to its appearance: some love it, others hate it. Will this shape retain its charm over the next decade? It’s a point worth considering. Then there’s the slightly heavy back end that seems just a bit overloaded with its parking lights that double as a second spoiler beneath the one that sits over the back hatch. When stacked up against the brand’s other SUVs, or even against the majority of other utility models available on the market, the Eclipse Cross is still resolutely original with its knife-cut front end and its trapezoidal fenestration. My pre-Christmas test drive was to see if the crossover still merited inclusion on the shortlists of car shoppers. Given that the population south of the border is 10 times ours, that means we’ve given the model a lot more love than they have, per capita!Įight months after my first encounter with the Eclipse Cross, I was again back behind the wheel, this time in the midst of winter. To give you an idea, American consumers bought three times as many Eclipse Crosses as Canadians did in the past year. The little SUV with its singular design is still a ways away from juggernauts like the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V, let’s be clear, but Mitsubishi Canada can be pretty happy with the results of the model’s first year among us. I was there for that in fact, and the new model won me over despite my puzzling to understand the manufacturer’s overhaul of its roster of products.įact is, the 2018 Eclipse Cross has been on the market since last spring, and to be honest it’s just starting to be a more common presence on our roads now, in early 2019. In the month of April of 2018, Mitsubishi Motors Canada invited a few members of the Canadian automotive press to discover the distant cousin of the Eclipse.
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