Now, I remember when the Mitsubishi Eclipse was a Hollywood superstar driven by Brian Earl Spilner – the fake name of undercover detective Brian O’Conner – Paul Walker’s protagonist from the first Fast and Furious instalment some 20 years ago.
Time has marched on and it hasn’t been kind to Mitsubishi as further evidenced by the demise of the Evo, and the company’s folding into the Nissan-Renault Alliance like egg into a soufflé. Naturally, what was a sporty FWD coupe is now a compact SUV available in 2- and 4-wheel drive flavours.
Both are paired with Mitsubishi’s Sport CVT gearbox complete with six ‘steps’ so that the infamous transmission whine and rubber banding effects are kept to a minimum. It fits above the ASX but beneath the Outlander and is easily the most attractive of the lot. A sporty wedge with a face dubbed the Dynamic Shield featuring tubular LED lamps. Daytime running lamps, folding mirrors and more.
Our test car was covered in ‘Red Diamond’ body paint and staring into it was indeed akin to glaring into a mirror ball bathed in All Gold tomato sauce that had been blended with glitter – shiny then. The cross Eclipse is well appointed – featuring a reverse camera, rear park distance control and a rich cabin including a HUD (head up display), multi-function leather steering wheel, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration and more. That includes reclining rear seats, seven airbags and keyless entry.
You’ll also spot the various drive modes, ours was the AWD range topper so we entertained the one marked ‘gravel’ often. Both derivatives come with steering column mounted paddle-shifters for swapping those virtual CVT cogs attached to the MIVEC 2.0-litre inline naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, good for 110kW and 198Nm. In typically Japanese fashion the off-road dial features the SUPER expletive with S-AWC or Super All Wheel Control giving you command over the Electrical 4WD system.
And that’s it - the new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, yours for R399,995 (2WD) or R449,995 (AWD) and while it isn’t Paul Walker's Eclipse, it is a great looking entrant in this segment. If we had to compare it to anything, it definitely resembles the Honda HR-V especially with that split rear window, another Honda staple. No bad thing.
On our 200km trip around the Cape we were impressed most of all by the compliant suspension and ride quality where it soaked the staccato gravel and firmed up neatly around the asphalt bends, all the while being motivated by that familiar 2.0-litre engine. In truth we’re just glad to see Mitsubishi survive these continuously tightening times for manufacturers.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 2.0l CVT AWD Spec:
| Price | R449,995.00 (2WD R399,995.00) |
| Engine | 2.0l MIVEC, NASP, inline 4-cyl |
| Power | 110kW |
| Torque | 198Nm |
| 0-100kph | 13 seconds |
| Top Speed | 188kph |
| Average Fuel Consumption | 8.1l/100km |
| CO2 Emissions | 192g/km |
