10 Things You Need to Know About the 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

The 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is the first all-new vehicle imported by Mitsubishi in several years, and it continues the brand’s recent direction as an alternative economy SUV brand. While the Eclipse Cross received a mixed reception from most automotive media, we think this innovative compact four-door crossover has a lot to offer and a distinct market position separate from other brands. The Eclipse Cross brings together technology, utility, and a different look that buyers may or may not like, but every potential customer will have a strong opinion.

With that in mind, here are 10 features of the 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross to consider when you’re assembling your new suv test-drive list.

The Eclipse Cross features a comparatively small engine for its size, but the 1.5-liter direct-injected and turbocharged engine delivers a healthy 152 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. On the road, drivers will note that the engine feels peppy and eager to accelerate, making good use of the available torque and horsepower. The Eclipse Cross is far from a low-power penalty box, and most drivers will find plenty of power under their foot.

Buyers of the all-wheel drive model can expect to receive 25 mpg in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway, with 25 mpg combined in EPA testing. That places the Eclipse Cross solidly in the middle of the compact SUV segment. You can find better fuel economy, but that often includes the extra cost of a hybrid drivetrain. 

Mitsubishi has been installing continuously variable transmissions in their vehicles longer than most automakers, and the technology is well-developed. The Eclipse Cross uses a CVT sourced from JATCO — the Japanese Automatic Transmission Company. Mitsubishi co-owns JATCO along with Nissan and Suzuki, and many other brands also use the same technology.

The CVT in the Eclipse Cross is a big reason why the 1.5-liter engine works as well as it does. By making good use of the available torque, this transmission gives the Eclipse Cross excellent acceleration with simulated gear shifts that allow the turbocharger to make horsepower. If the driver wants to control the transmission directly, Mitsubishi provides a pair of paddle shifters on the steering wheel assembly for that purpose.

The rear seats in the Eclipse Cross can be moved forward or back by nearly 8 inches. This allows you to trade off rear legroom and cargo capacity as needed, which is better than locking the rear passengers into a tight space when there’s nothing being carried in the cargo hold, or than reducing luggage capacity when no one’s using the rear seats.

Additionally, the rear seats have nine different recline settings, so back-seat passengers can get comfortable. Deluxe comfort features like these are sometimes found only on luxury brands, but they come as standard equipment on the Eclipse Cross.

The Eclipse Cross has several features that can be controlled through the My Mitsubishi Connect smartphone app, which integrates with the Mitsubishi Connect 4G/LTE data system on the vehicle.

Using My Mitsubishi Connect, you can precondition the cabin temperature and warm up the engine before you get to the Eclipse Cross. Parents can implement teen driving rules and monitor the location of the vehicle. Remote door lock and unlock and window functions are included, and the app can even keep track of where the Eclipse Cross has been. The app also provides convenient access to the owner’s manual and quick contact with the Mitsubishi customer care service.

Every Eclipse Cross comes with a 7-inch display mounted high on the dash, which is good because the driver need not take eyes off the road to see what’s being displayed. In the top three trim levels, the Mitsubishi system supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, giving the owner access to navigation, Internet radio, streaming music, and text message playback. Voice-activated control is provided through Google Assistant and Siri.

In lower trims, the screen is touch-sensitive, but in the higher trims the Eclipse Cross comes with a touchpad controller mounted between the seats on the console. This controller provides for smartphone-like gesture controls like two-finger swipes for volume control and tapping to select options. Mitsubishi has done a good job making the touchpad attractive and easy to use.

Almost all vehicles provide some kind of sunroof, but on the SEL Touring trim, the Eclipse Cross offers a panoramic dual-pane design that will please both front and rear-seat passengers. The front panel is a traditional multi-function glass sunroof with tilt and slide capability, as well as a separately functioning shade. The front sunroof opens up to 17 inches.

The rear sunroof is a fixed glass plate with a shade that opens to provide light and visual space to the back seat passengers. The rear pane does not tilt or slide, however.

The Eclipse Cross provides good cargo space, with 22.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat and up to 48.9 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. The rear seat offers a standard 60/40 split, so you can balance passenger and cargo needs.

Beyond the basics, there’s also a smaller storage compartment located under the cargo area floor. Just lift up the panel and carpet and you’ll find a space big enough to place some purchases or a small backpack. That’s handy if you don’t want to leave anything visible in the vehicle when you park. There’s also a retractable cargo cover for the same purpose. Finally, the Eclipse Cross includes a reasonably sized storage compartment in the center console.

There’s a subtle feature in the Eclipse Cross that can make a lot of difference. The driver and front passenger seats are mounted higher up than in most SUVs. You can feel the difference when you get in. This has several benefits, including less leg pain on longer trips, and a more commanding view of the road ahead.

Taller drivers will be impressed that there is still ample headroom in the Mitsubishi, and shorter drivers can use the manual adjuster to lift the driver’s seat even higher if necessary. Unfortunately, the Eclipse Cross does not include adjustable lumbar support on any trim level.

As a modern crossover suv, all the important comfort factors are present in the Eclipse Cross. Chief among these is the presence of heated front seats, which are available in the SE and SEL trims. In the top SEL trim, a heated steering wheel is optional. Once you’ve had a heated wheel, you won’t want to face another winter without it.

Also available in the top SEL trim are the optional heated rear seats. When the option is selected, the outboard seating positions each have a user-controllable heating switch.

Mitsubishi has given the Eclipse Cross an exciting color palette, including a dramatic Rally Red Metallic that really pops and shines. Almost as striking is the Octane Blue Metallic and the very current Bronze Metallic that is popular this year. On top of those options, buyers can choose traditional black, white, silver, or gray. Regardless of exterior color choice, the interior is always black fabric.

The 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross starts at $24,425, placing it within a few hundred dollars of the Honda CR-V, GMC Terrain, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mazda CX-5, and Nissan Rogue. If you want Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control all-wheel drive system, the base trim model starts at $25,025. All the upper trim models come with S-AWC, and they start at $26,215 for the LE trim and range up to $29,215 for the top SEL trim. If you option up the Eclipse Cross with every feature, you can expect to spend about $32,310.