@movernie
This week, I am On the MOVE with the 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Limited Edition AWD to tour around Ontario as part of my “Ontario Travel Series” segment. And it comes with a bright red colour that is eye catching, sharp and just gets everyone’s attention.
After driving this cross-over SUV for a good few days touring around Ontario, let me give you my overall product review of this ride. I will tell you what are the Pros (What I like) and Cons (What I dislike).
Profile: 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Limited Edition AWD
Body Type: 4 door, 5 passengers, cross-over SUV
Trim Level: Limited Edition
MSRP: $31,298 CDN (as listed on Mitsubishi Canada’s official website)
Engine Type: 1.5 L DOHC MIVEC 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, 152 hp & 184 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Fuel Consumption: Hwy 8.9L/100 KM (29 mpg), City 9.6L/100 KM (26 mpg)
Introduction:
The 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is a cross-over SUV that was added to the Mitsubishi SUV family lineup since 2018 so it’s relatively new. And new for 2020 is the Limited Edition trim level that includes a bunch of cool visual components that gives the vehicle a refreshing look and I personally really like it as it looks more sporty and more rugged. Some of the visual cues include a black grill, black roof rails, black rear view mirrors and much much more.
When the Eclipse Cross first came onto the scene, it created a buzz for 2 reasons. The 1st one was the use of the name “Eclipse”. As many automotive enthusiasts will know that the name “Eclipse” was once a sports coupe/convertible that became an iconic name in the Mitsubishi history. So, some people weren’t able to accept that a SUV is called “Eclipse Cross”. Although I am not here to discuss about the choice of the name since everyone’s opinion is different. If you look beyond the name, this Eclipse Cross is a sporty, good looking vehicle that definitely carry some Eclipse sporty DNA. Besides, lots of car companies are now applying successful model names and applied them into the existing lineup anyway so Mitsubishi maybe starting a trend. For example, Ford Mustang Mach-E, uses the iconic Mustang sports car name to its electric driven SUV. Again, not going there as Ford fan base has different opinion about that name as well. Anyhow, like it or not, that’s the trend many brands are heading towards.
The second thing that caused a stir is the unique split glass rear design in this Eclipse Cross. Styling wise, it’s unique and definitely stood out from the competitive cross-over segment, however, can the customers able to adapt to the split glass while driving? That’s another story to think about.
Personally, I like the overall design of this Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. It looks good from the outside from every angle. The front end, especially with the Limited Edition black grill makes this ride very good looking and sporty. The front design definitely resembles some of the current Lexus SUVs, which I think it’s a good thing. The rear end design makes it stand out from its competitors. I also like the interior dashboard layout, it’s spacious, nice and simple. Sometimes, simple is a good thing. Most often, when I test drive other vehicles, there are so many gadgets, buttons, features that it can be overwhelming and you ask yourself, “Do I need all these features? Why is the layout so complicated?”. I like Eclipse Cross simplicity, everything is easy to comprehend and the controls are easy to find.
Engine & Specs:
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, regardless of any trim levels, it comes with a standard engine, 1.5 L DOHC MIVEC 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, 152 hp & 184 lb-ft of torque, coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission (CVT).
I have to admit that when I first saw the specs on paper, I thought 1.5L 4 cylinder turbo pumping only 152 hp would only give the Eclipse Cross some mediocre performance, but that’s not entirely true. In fact, I was super impressed with this engine. With 184 lb-ft of torque, this cross-over has a decent acceleration to take over other vehicles. Although there are times the turbo lagged, but most of the time, I enjoy how this vehicle handles. It’s peppy, aggressive, there is plenty of fun to move this vehicle along the local roads and highways. This was definitely one of the highlights that I enjoyed driving this Eclipse Cross!
Pros (What I like):
– A long list of standard features on this Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: I am super impressed with the amount of standard features on this Limited Edition trim level. From heated seats (front & rear) to backup camera, this ride offers lots of standard goodies than its other competitors.
– Limited Edition Visual Components: The black visual components added in this Limited Edition trim level gives the Eclipse Cross a refreshing look. It looks even more distinctive from its other trim levels. It’s more sporty and rugged.
– Engine Power: Although the displacement is relatively small (1.5L) and there are some turbo lag especially at times, this Eclipse Cross has surprisingly good acceleration and power. The power is adequate from most speed bandwidth and the 184 lb-ft of torque is definitely super helpful to pull this vehicle up to speed easily.
– Amazing AWD System: Mitsubishi is well-known for its Evolution Rally off-road AWD capabilities and it’s evident with the AWD system in this Eclipse Cross. It is smooth and operating as it should when going on rocky or gravel surfaces.
– Great Suspension: I like the suspension in this Eclipse Cross and it’s super comfy most of the time. It’s capable of adsorbing most bumps and bad road conditions. Yet, it still provides good feedback to the ride. I am impressed.
– Spacious Back Seat: Me and other people who sat at the back seats felt super comfy. It’s very spacious on the back seat as compared to other competitors.
– Good paint choices: In other Eclipse Cross trim levels, it offers a good variety of body paint. In particular, the red diamond, the octane blue and white are my picks for any Eclipse Trim levels. However, although the Limited Edition only offers 4 body paints (Red diamond, Titanium Grey, Pearl White and Tarmac Black), all of these 4 colour choices look good on this Limited Edition. The black visual components just make this ride look so good!
– Luv the Sport Steering Wheel: Stylish sporty steering wheel. I like the diamond logo on the steering wheel. I like the way it turns and it holds.
Cons (What I Dislike):
– Rear styling: Of course, whether you like the rear end styling or not really depends on your preference and style sense. But for me, I prefer functionality over styling. Although it’s not that hard for me to adapt to the split glass rear design while driving, but the question came down to “Is it necessary? Why are there are 2 split rear glasses?”. I heard from other media outlets that Mitsubishi plans to ditch the split glass design for its upcoming re-designed Eclipse Cross and hopefully, that will invite more potential buyers to join the Eclipse Cross family with the more simple rear setup.
– No Music Button Knob: I luv listening to music, thus, I switch radio channels often. In this Eclipse Cross, there is no actual radio knob for me to turn up or down the volume. If I need to turn up or turn down the volume, I have to reach to the right side of the screen to change the volume (since I have short arms, it’s a challenge for me to reach especially I am driving). I tried to research a bit and people told me that you can also use the mousepad to change volume, which I tried but no luck. The question is…why make it so difficult to change the music volume? Why not just give us a simple radio knob? Keep it simple! Sometimes, things are meant to be simple and no need to complicate the design.
– Would Love a Sunroof. NOT On My Tester: My tester doesn’t have a sunroof. I prefer vehicle with a sunroof coz It creates more head space and letting more sun in.
– ONLY Driver’s Side Has One Touch Up & Down Window: I know many brands will only provide driver’s side one touch up & down window feature. Perhaps, some provides the same feature with the passenger side as well. Even better, some provides all windows to have up & down but that usually based on the options or trim levels that you paid for. However, I think it’s time all brands should stop playing mind games and just provide all windows with a one touch up & down feature. It’s a pain for me only being able to one touch my own window while have to keep tapping all windows until it goes all the way up or down. It’s not as convenient and it’s a pain every time I want to roll up or down all the windows.
– Need Better Seats Material: I know the Eclipse Cross is trying to make seats more sporty, funky, stylish with patterns on it and with materials that are more water-proof, but I found the cloth on the seats a bit cheap and not comfortable at all. I prefer better quality material cloth on the seats.
– Gas Lid Button Shouldn’t Be On the Floor: I know in the past, many brands like to place the gas lid button on the floor but those days are long gone. It was a challenge for me to find the gas lid button on this Eclipse Cross. Until later, I found it located on the left side of the driver’s seat and it’s a black bar looking shape with no colour code or any sticker indication that it’s a gas lid. With so many places to put around the dashboard, I am sure Mitsubishi designer can put the gas lid button on one of those visible slots. When winter comes, gas lid on the floor will get dirty and putting on the floor isn’t a good look.
MoVernie Verdict: Overall, I think if you are shopping for a cross-over SUV, you can definitely put this Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross as one of your purchase considerations. Give it a test drive and see for yourself. I really like the way it looks, the Limited Edition trim level comes with so many cool visual components to give the already good looking Eclipse Cross even more character and flavour. I was impressed with the powertrain, the way it accelerates and the way the vehicle handles itself with its AWD system was great. And the ride is super comfy with the suspension that it installed. There are so many blend looking cross-overs in this segment but if you want something totally stands out and in the league of its own, Eclipse Cross is definitely the vehicle for you.
For more INFO about the 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross family lineup, please click here.
The 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Limited Edition AWD was provided by Mitsubishi Canada. However, as always, the opinions expressed in this post is entirely my own.
