The New Mitsubishi Eclipse Is Here And It's All So 2017

Like it or loathe it, this is the new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and we’ve just learned the pricing details.

Mitsubishi has recycled the Eclipse name, as you probably already know, and the newcomer hasn’t been made entirely welcome. Whereas the late-1990s 2G version became a cult classic in the eyes of JDM fans and tuners, this is a compact SUV. Damn it, everything these days is a compact SUV.

So here we are, embarking upon this new and very different voyage into the Mitsubishi Eclipse (Cross). You’ll have to pay at least £21,275 for the entry model when it comes to the UK in January, for which you’ll get an Eclipse Cross 2. The usual lane departure warnings, autonomous emergency braking and so on are standard, and it’s also pretty impressive to see automatic lights and wipers standardised at this price.

The 2 grade still won’t sell, though, because it’s stuck with tiny 17-inch wheels that, to steal one of the industry’s favourite buzzwords, don’t look very premium. Quelle horreur. Upgrade to an Eclipse Cross 3 and you get 18s, as well as heated front seats, a head-up display, parking sensors at both ends, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, push-button start and more, all for a very reasonable £22,575 in front-wheel drive form.

Then there’s the 4, which costs from £24,975 and gets leather trim, electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, a panoramic sunroof and a whole bunch of other stuff that you probably care less about than you do about having a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine that can easily be whacked up to 350bhp without bursting.

As compensation, Mitsubishi is only offering the Cross with a petrol, turbocharged engine. It’s a 1.5, though, and is good for an adequate 161bhp. Four-wheel drive is optional from 3 spec upwards, while a CVT automatic that behaves sort of like a geared automatic is on the extras list too.

There’s also a First Edition trim spec limited to 250 cars and blessed with ‘premium paint,’ special floor mats and some aesthetic add-ons. You pay an extra £1850 for the privilege, though, which seems bad value to us. Ah well, back to the classifieds we go, for tidy G2s…