Mitsubishi To Release New Compact Crossover At The Geneva Motor Show. Its Name? Eclipse
The Mitsubishi Eclipse was one of the Japanese automaker’s most popular and enduring models. The Eclipse was a compact sports car released in 1990 and endured until 2012 when it was replaced by the Lancer. The Eclipse came in two versions, the two-door liftback coupe and a two-door convertible. After years of declining sales, the Eclipse was officially put out of production in 2011. Common criticisms of the Eclipse were that the powertrain was not powerful enough for such a big-bodied car to truly perform like the sports car it was marketed to be, or that the Eclipse was just plain boring and featureless compared to some of the more exciting offerings from other sports car makers.
While the Eclipse wasn’t one of the highest-rated cars in its class, it nonetheless managed to generate a cult following among import sports car enthusiasts. When Mitsubishi declared the Eclipse out of production, many fans of the car and brand were left without a reasonable substitute. Luckily for them, the automaker announced plans to unveil a brand new Eclipse concept at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show - although one vastly different from any other previous Eclipse models.
According to a teaser photo released by Mitsubishi ahead of the Geneva Auto Show, the new Eclipse looks nothing like any of its predecessor models. While official details are still sparse, the dark teaser image shows the new Eclipse to be a crossover or mini SUV. The crossover market has been expanding over the last decade, so it’s natural that Mitsubishi would want an entry to compete with other makers. Mitsubishi already has two SUV options, the mid-sized Outlander Sport and the full-sized Outlander, but no smaller SUVs in the crossover category.
The teaser image shows the new Eclipse crossover to be sleekly designed much like its sportscar predecessor of the same name. The Eclipse’s roofline has a sporty slope to it, matched by the sharply-angled front grille. Though the Eclipse concept in the teaser photo is shrouded in shadow, four doors can clearly be seen can be clearly seen.
The new Eclipse bears a striking resemblance to the Mitsubishi eX Concept which was put on display at the 2016 Geneva Auto Show. That electric SUV concept was designed with many of the most cutting-edge features in mind such as an electric drivetrain, semi-autonomous driving capabilities on some highways, and self-parking technology. Could those features find a new home in the new Eclipse crossover? Time will tell. However, Mitsubishi has claimed that the new Eclipse will be the “best vehicle Mitsubishi has ever produced.” That claim will be put to the test when the first real glimpse of the new Eclipse crossover SUV is rolled out at the Geneva Auto Show in March.