SA Road Tests

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Questions: 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 2.0, 4x2

Bold styling

Posted: August 16, 2019 

The numbers
Prices: 4x2 @ R409 995, awd @ R449 995
Engine: 1998 cc, DOHC 16-valve, four-cylinder naturally aspirated
Power: 110 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 198 Nm at 4200 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12.1 seconds
Maximum speed: 188 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 9.7 l/100 km
Tank: 63 litres (4x2), 60 litres (awd)
Luggage: 359-466-1140 litres
Ground clearance: 180 mm
Turning circle: 10.6 metres
Standard tyre size: 225/55R18
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Roadside: 5 years/unlimited
Service plan: 5 years/90 000 km, at 15 000 km intervals

Please don’t shorten this car’s name to Eclipse. That was a 2.0-litre Mitsubishi sports coupé last seen in 1999, although a 3.0-litre Spyder continued flying the flag until 2005.
 
We have some thoughts: The old sport coupé used a 2.0-litre 4G63 engine, rather than the one fitted to ASXs and South Africa’s version of Eclipse Cross. That’s a 1998 cc, Mitsubishi 4B11 motor developing 110 kilowatts and 198 Newton-metres.
 
It works fine, but every motoring scribe in SA wonders why our Eclipse Crosses didn’t get the 1.5 turbo that’s used everywhere else? Putting out 120 kW and 250 Nm, it would perform at least as well and probably use less fuel. It’s coupled to an eight-step CVT whereas “our” version makes do with six. 

About that CVT: It’s the JF016E version of JATCO’s (Japan Automatic Transmission Company) CVT8 ‘box. Interestingly, Renault’s new Koleos uses the seven-step JF017E version of the same thing.

It’s familiar technology; a steel band runs between two cones that meet and separate, varying the diameter of the gap between, and a pulley that drives it. JATCO claims “quicker response and acceleration, a unified feel to acceleration and engine sound and ten percent better fuel economy.” In real life it drives like a good, average, torque converter automatic that can be bamboozled if treated abruptly.

A feature not found on the Koleos is shift paddles. We usually dismiss this feature as pretentious, especially on family-aligned road cars. Eclipse Cross’s differ from the usual in that, once used to select a gear-step, the transmission remains in manual mode until formally deselected. Paddle shifts on most cars have an annoying way of defaulting back to full auto, always in a higher ratio, in the middle of your next corner.
 
Finally, being kind and with history that includes good things like Lancer Evolution, Mitsubishi provides a stick as well. And you can use them interchangeably.

Another feature not often found at this price level is a Heads-up Display, or HUD. It’s also something we disregarded in the past but now find quite useful – the briefest eye-flick keeps your speed in view without having to actually look down at the speedometer.

Our second thought concerns the light bar across the back window. It’s a bold styling feature that some love and others hate. Its main function is to add a mid-level brake light. Six buttons, about the size of R1 coins, glow brightly as brakes are applied. Seen from inside, the bar can be irritating. We concede, however, that the secondary window below it provides a better view of happenings close to the rear of the car than the narrow upper glass can. We had only a week to get used to it; longer acquaintance might render it less obtrusive and more useful.

We have two models here; same engine, same transmission, identical features and appearance, front-wheel drive or awd. Mitsubishi calls its version Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC). It integrates management of various electronic handling components, including braking, to improve general vehicle stability and cornering during acceleration, regardless of driving conditions. It has its own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_S-AWC  Our test car was a 4x2 so we can’t tell you how S-AWC behaves.
 
Positioned between ASX and Outlander, Eclipse Cross is a medium-sized city SUV built for five people. Ground clearance is a useful but not exotic 180 mm, so you won’t be going gully jumping with it. Safety kit is right up with more expensive cars; seven airbags, all the braking and handling acronyms you can think of, automatic door locking, keyless operation, reversing camera, and parking alarms front and rear.

Nice-to haves include dual-zone automatic air conditioning with rear vents, headlamp washers, leather upholstery with warmers in front, electrical adjusters for the driver, auto-on headlamps and wipers, cruise control, satnav, folding mirrors, front foglamps, 18” alloy wheels with fully sized spare and roof rails.
            
It isn’t a race car by any means but it fulfils its design brief comfortably. There’s an accessible if slightly higher than usual loading deck, enough luggage space, folding seatbacks (with a small step downward), sufficient people-room with fair head space in the back and adequate storage. The squabs slide through a range of about 20 cm so if passengers aren’t a priority, luggage volume can adjust between 359 and 466 litres (VDA) before laying the seats down.
            
It’s a neat and comfortable car with decent features and worth a second look. We would wait for the 1500 turbo but you might prefer the reassurance of good old unblown technology. It’s up to you.

Test unit from Mitsubishi Motors SA press fleet

We drove the 1.5 Turbo in 2021



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