[Eclipse Cross News]

Mitsubishi is trying to reinvent themselves these days to increase brand awareness and the new 2018 Eclipse Cross is a step in the right direction. Car And Driver (CAD) calls it “a course correction toward a more compelling lineup.”

The exterior is certainly compelling with a front end reminiscent of other models in its compact crossover lineup and a rear that’s completely new. Eclipse Cross designers managed to create something with a more “athletic and rakish” look by giving it a steeply raked roofline similar to what you’d find on a coupe. Then there’s the connected rear taillight that looks to be floating away from the body.

Its interior is said to be even better than what you’d find in the Outlander Sport. No surprise there when the range-topping trims come with a head-up display and aside from the base model, every variant is equipped with a 7.0-inch display. Even better, the sizeable tablet supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

But no car is perfect and CAD found the Eclipse Cross to be lacking in driving pleasure. Not because of the 1.5-liter inline-four engine with 152 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. What let them down was the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which was said to mute the “engine’s sharpness and torque”.

Other than that, the new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has a lot to offer for what you pay.

 

[#freeLancer]

After being absorbed into the Nissan-Renault alliance late last year, the automaker will now get some help in the form of platforms and other technology from its alliance-mates - That's what I call the right direction. I hope these partnerships will allow Mitsubishi to come back into the business.

 

[SolarEclipse]

Well the one downside to the Eclipse is the CVT, something Mitsubishi should improve on or maybe they can borrow and existing transmission from the other automakers in the alliance? Any idea what will work and from whom?

 

[wasabi]

I think they already did and Nissan is probably it but with the way things are going in the world of CVT's its going to e rare that they change anything. Whatever they change will be minor improvements which we'll see show up as different version of that gen CVT.

 

[SolarEclipse]

Shame that the CVT is so slow to advance when everything else is being improved by leaps and bounds.

 

[wasabi]

Shame that the CVT is so slow to advance when everything else is being improved by leaps and bounds.

I think it has more to do with cost than anything else, out of no where Lexus pushed expectations people have of CVT's. The other part is application depending on all the variables in a vehicles make up they need a transmission setup to further highlight on