Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross gets even edgier

The facelifted 2021 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has made its global debut, bringing even edgier front-end styling and the first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant.

Australia will be the first market to receive the upgraded small SUV – in late November, before even Japan and the US – and the PHEV variant (pictured here in white) will follow it on sale here about 12 months later in 2021 as an MY22 model.

Apart from the aggressive new evolution of Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield front-end design including a new front bumper/grille and refreshed headlight layout, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross brings revised back-end styling via a redesigned tailgate and rear window, bringing improved rear visibility.

There’s also improved comfort courtesy of an upgraded cabin featuring a new black interior theme with silver accents and light grey leather seat trim with matching door trims on some models.

On the technology front, the MY21 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross brings a new 8.0-inch smartphone-link display audio (SDA) system as standard. The new infotainment system now incorporates rotary knobs for the major controls and is said to be closer to, and more easily viewed and operated by, occupants.

Under the bonnet, the existing 110kW/250Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and eight-speed CVT auto will be carried over, but the big news is the small SUV’s first PHEV powertrain.

When it arrives in Australia around this time next year, the MY22 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV will employ the same powertrain as its newly updated big brother – the MY21 Outlander PHEV, which remains the only plug-in model in the mainstream mid-size SUV class and the world’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle.

That means it will offer a twin-motor, all-wheel drive set-up comprising an electric motor for each axle, a 2.4-litre MIVEC four-cylinder petrol engine, a large-capacity drive battery and a single-speed planetary gearbox.

Final specifications have not been revealed, but in the Outlander PHEV the engine produces 94kW/199Nm, the front motor delivers 60kW/137Nm and the rear motor offers 70kW/195Nm, resulting in claimed combined fuel consumption of just 1.9L/100km and CO2 emissions of 43g/km.

Mitsubishi says the PHEV, AWD and S-AWC systems have been modified to suit the size and weight of the Eclipse Cross chassis, but offer the same quick, silent and powerful acceleration as the Outlander PHEV.

As with the larger plug-in SUV, the PHEV system offers three drive modes that are automatically selected depending on conditions – Series Hybrid, Parallel Hybrid and EV, which offers up to 55km of battery-only driving at speeds up to 135km/h – while the traction battery can also be used as an electricity source for outdoor leisure activities and during power outages.

Mitsubishi says it can supply up to 1500 Watts from an onboard outlet. When the vehicle is fully charged and fuelled, it’s claimed to offer enough power to supply a general household for up to 10 days (assuming an average of 10kWh per day).

The bi-directional technology that allows vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging has existed in the Outlander PHEV since 2017 but is not yet compatible in Australia. However, that should change by the time the Eclipse Cross PHEV arrives here.

Pricing and specifications for the MY21 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross will be released in November. Positioned between the ASX and Outlander, the model is currently priced between $29,990 and $39,490.

The MY21 Eclipse Cross can’t come soon enough for Mitsubishi, given the model’s 45 per cent sales slide so far this year. It has been outsold by a host of rivals including the top-selling ASX, Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, Honda HR-V, Subaru XV, Mazda CX-30, Toyota C-HR and Suzuki Vitara.

The global launch of the revised small SUV was delayed from July due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will be followed by a new Outlander in 2021 and a new ASX in 2022.