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Still fully camouflaged, Mitsubishi is giving journalists the opportunity to test drive the new 2018 Eclipse Cross prototype in the Northern Territory ahead of its showroom arrival later this year. Curt Dupriez from CarAdvice was one of those lucky people and he seems to be a fan.
We already know quite a bit about the Eclipse Cross including the fact that its 2670mm wheelbase is the same as its ASX sibling, all-wheel drive is offered, a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine is hidden under that bonnet and there’s really not much left to the imagination when it comes to the small-midsize SUV’s exterior design. After all, the production ready design was revealed at the Geneva motor show back in March.
But how a vehicle actually feels in motion can’t be gleaned from specs alone. With three adult passengers on board, the mule’s acceleration was smooth and feels punchy though it won’t pin you to your seat. There was even a dirt section and traction was excellent, as was its absorption of small bumps.
“The ride is compliant, there’s no wallowy bounce or crash-through on bumps, and it feels reasonably obedient to direction changes without much ESP intervention once you push on the loose stuff”, Curt noted.
Unfortunately, the test drive was just too short and he still has many questions about the production model. Luckily, it won’t be long until the Eclipse Cross hits showroom floors and then he’ll have a chance to thoroughly test the vehicle both on and off-road.
