Mitsubishi confirms Eclipse Cross 15 | 02 | 2017

MITSUBISHI HAS CONFIRMED its new Nissan Qashqai rival will be called the Eclipse Cross; the car, which will boost Mitsubishi sales when it goes on-sale in Scotland, will be unveiled officially at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

Set to be larger than the ASX and sit below the Outlander in Mitsubishi’s range, the new crossover’s name is a nod to the Mitsubishi Eclipse sports car which was sold mainly in North America between 1989 and 2012.

The new preview images released by Mitsubishi confirm the Eclipse Cross bears some resemblance to the Outlander. However, the crossover’s more angular rear, aligned with a coupé-like roofline and slimming glassline, are certainly unlike the traditional boxy shape of Mitsubishi SUVs.

It’s expected the Eclipse Cross will incorporate design cues first seen in the XR-PHEV concept car which made its debut in 2013, and again in a revised form two years later in Geneva.

The latter concept measured 449mm in length, 1890mm in width and 1620mm in height and incorporated a large central grille which is expected to become the face of all the Japanese manufacturer’s new SUVs.

But while the concept was two-wheel drive and powered by an unspecified plug-in hybrid powertrain that produced 160bhp and emitted 40g/km of CO2, it’s unlikely the production version will get hybrid technology because of cost restrictions.

However, we should expect the new crossover to feature a new turbocharged petrol engine, alongside the diesel engines currently found in the ASX range. Buyers will also have the choice from manual, CVT and eight-speed automatic transmissions, and all-wheel-drive variants will be offered in tandem with certain powertrains.

Related: 0% offers available at Scots Mitsubishi dealers

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/Scotcars

Jim McGill