Unfortunately, handling limits remain as modest as ever. Together with the near-silent engine, the refined chassis and well-tuned steering, the Sport Cross exudes a sense of maturity usually reserved for crossovers perched a bit higher up the chain. Turns out, reworking the structure in pursuit of more cargo space also presented opportunities to improve ride quality, quietness, and steering precision. Ride suppleness, on the other hand, very much is. The power delivery, such as it is, seems optimized for the Eclipse's likely role as an urban runabout.Ĭlearly, acceleration isn't the Eclipse Cross's forte. It's also extraordinarily quiet in operation, even at highway speeds.
That said, the 1.5-liter's modest power comes on so smoothly, you might not even know it's turbocharged. Its 8.4-second mosey to 60 mph was a couple of tenths quicker than the 8.6 seconds set by an all-wheel-drive Eclipse Cross model we tested in 2018, but that's still tepid compared with the Mazda CX-30, which hits 60 in 7.6 seconds with its base engine and in 5.8 seconds with the optional turbo four. With 3,611 pounds of weight and just 152 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque emanating from its tiny, turbocharged 1.5-liter four-banger, the Eclipse Cross didn't exactly invite back-road shenanigans or stoplight shootouts the way that its '90s-era namesake might have.
#MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSSOVER 2022 MANUAL#
Those paddles give you manual selection of eight fixed ratios offered by the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), for those times you want to pretend you have actual gears. The SEL trim level also comes with big steering-wheel shift paddles to augment the beefy conventional gear lever on the console. Further serving to spiff up the place is newly available gray leather upholstery on top-dog SEL trim levels, a welcome addition to an interior color palette that heretofore consisted of black, black, and black, with a splash or two of silver trim. Throughout the Eclipse Cross cabin, material quality is consistently good, so banish the thought of that Galant you rented in Phoenix back in 2012. And moving the touchpad allowed the cupholders to get out from under the driver's elbow and slide closer to the center of the console. While the system hardly raises the bar in any particular respect, at least it feels contemporary and is ergonomically sound. New features include physical volume and tuning knobs (at last) and a native navigation system. That system is standard on all but the base models, and replaces the old 7.0-inch screen infotainment system that was paired with a touchpad on the console. The increased usability of the cargo hold improves one of the shortcomings of the original Eclipse Cross, while a thoughtfully reconfigured dashboard addresses some of the others, starting with its new 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The 60/40 split rear seats can recline and slide 8.5 inches fore and aft. Mitsu also claims an 11 percent increase in floor space in the cargo area.
Fold the seats and the 2022 model's 50 cubes shades the '20 by just one. And on the pragmatic front, Mitsubishi says the lengthened rear increases the cargo space, but both the 2020 and '22 share a 23-cubic-foot spec behind the second row.
The old conjoined taillamps have split into expressive, three-pronged details. More significant is the replacement of the original Eclipse Cross's awful split rear window with a more conventional, single-pane window that actually delivers decent rear visibility. The more prodigious posterior brings several benefits, starting with improved proportions, as it balances out that beaky nose. The aforementioned front- and rear-end changes contribute 5.6 inches of additional length. Well, if bigger means better, then it certainly was. Tested: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross AWD.In fact, Mitsubishi let its middle-child crossover skip the 2021 model year to undergo a remarkably thorough mid-cycle makeover for 2022. Mid-cycle updates typically include minor revisions to the front and rear end and perhaps a few new colors, but Mitsubishi evidently realized that the Eclipse Cross needed more than that to have a chance in one of the most cutthroat segments of the market. Then again, the squinty new headlights and optional black "ECLIPSE CROSS" block letters spanning the Mitsubishi's new clamshell hood definitely evoke, well, a Range Rover Evoque.
#MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSSOVER 2022 DRIVER#
After all, pretty much no one at Car and Driver would ever confuse a Mitsubishi with a Range Rover, especially knowing how utterly underwhelming the little crossover has been since its 2018 introduction. Several more folks made the same mistake during our time with Mitsubishi's freshened 2022 Eclipse Cross.
Words to that effect were heard later that day from another friend. "I thought it was that little Range Rover," a friend said.
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