Eclipse Cross SUV steps up with myriad upgrades

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- Having recently tested -- and reviewed -- the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander sport-utility vehicle, I was looking forward to driving the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross compact crossover SUV.

Like the Outlander, the Eclipse Cross has been seriously reworked for the 2022 model year. The Outlander upgrades have drawn high praise from multiple auto reviewers, including Motor Trend magazine. However, the magazine was not so high on the 2021 edition of the Eclipse Cross, publishing a savage evaluation that called it an "underpowered ... oddball SUV" that lacked "competitiveness" in its segment.

Ouch!

I'm happy to report that the 2022 Eclipse Cross, redesigned and upgraded inside and out, has taken a sizable step up in quality and competitiveness in the ultra-competitive compact crossover segment.

Mitsubishi restyled the front end with what it calls a "Dynamic Shield" design.  Like the Outlander, the Eclipse Cross front has large, eye catching front lights set nicely on either side of the sporty grille. The front of the vehicle all but grabs your eyes, besides doing the job of transporting one safely in darkness or fog.

Interior space is enhanced with the addition of more than five inches of overall vehicle length. In-cabin amenities are much improved, with a long list of standard features included in the bargain starting price of $28,995 on my top-tier model, a 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross SEL 1.5T S-AWC.  While my ride was lavishly dressed up with optional extras, bringing the bottom-line sticker price to $34,670, it's worth noting that the starting fare on an entry-level Eclipse Cross is only $23,395.

Power comes from a 1.5-liter turbo-4 with an advertised 152 horsepower at 5,500 rpm.  It's not a road-ripper, but the power plant served me well for a week.  It struggled somewhat on hard uphill runs in the Sierra Nevada, but frankly, so do similarly equipped models.

Fuel mileage is OK at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

The S-AWC designation stands for Super-All Wheel Control. I'm not a mechanical engineer, so I'll simply say that the complex system is designed to enhance vehicle movements and driver comfort in accelerating, cornering and braking maneuvers. It does so by automatically manipulating longitudinal torque, lateral torque vectoring and four-wheel brake control.

Got all that?  Good. All I can tell you is that the tested Eclipse Cross was an easy driver in all conditions.  No, it won't run down a Ferrari, but that's not the point.

The point is that Mitsubishi listened to public/critic feedback and transformed the Eclipse Cross into a player in the small crossover SUV segment.  It might be the ideal choice for a family looking for a daily workhorse SUV that's affordable.

Mitsubishi has made advances over the years by upgrading its vehicle fleet, turning once bland autos into public-pleasing vehicles.  The Eclipse Cross fits into that template.