Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Compact SUV · 2018–present. 12,724 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation developed the original Eclipse Cross. The manufacturer identifies Tsunehiro Kunimoto as corporate vice president of its Design Division, who commented on the design award, and Yuichiro Hayashi as chief product specialist. Don Swearingen, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Mitsubishi Motors North America, introduced the U.S. model. These documented roles do not identify a sole designer or equate chief product specialist with chief engineer.
The gasoline Eclipse Cross is manufactured at Mitsubishi’s Okazaki plant near Nagoya, Japan. The maker announced the start of Europe-bound vehicle shipments on October 3, 2017. Its current factory list still names Eclipse Cross among Okazaki’s products, and NHTSA’s manufacturer-submitted MY2026 model pattern also identifies Okazaki, Japan. That partial pattern is assembly evidence, rather than a census of every U.S. VIN.
Mitsubishi announced the name on February 14, 2017 and unveiled the vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show on March 7. The first U.S. shipment had reached Port Hueneme, California by February 2018. MMNA announced an early-March U.S. retail launch as a 2018 model, starting at $23,295. The original March sales report later recorded 604 units for that month; the announced launch schedule should be distinguished from a verified first customer-delivery date.
Eclipse comes from the sporty coupe Mitsubishi sold in the United States starting in 1989, and Cross is short for crossover. Mitsubishi also ties it to the astronomical event: it compares the car's shape to the "diamond ring" effect seen just before and after a total solar eclipse, and it created a new red inspired by solar prominences. According to Autoblog, the original coupe was supposedly named after an 18th-century English racehorse that never lost.
Mitsubishi wanted a compact SUV that blended coupe styling with an SUV's freedom of movement and its four-wheel-drive know-how. It was the first car of its new generation and the first designed from scratch under its "Robust and Ingenious" design philosophy. It joined the lineup next to the Outlander Sport (ASX in other markets), the Outlander and the Outlander PHEV. According to the brand's surveys, design was the number one reason people bought it.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12018–2020 · Primera serie
The Eclipse returns as a coupe SUV
Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It revived the Eclipse name after the coupe’s final MY2012, using a compact SUV with a sloping coupe-like roof. Its 1.5-liter direct-injection turbo was paired with a CVT and available S-AWC. Offered equipment included a dual-pane panoramic roof, a 7-inch display with touchpad, a separate retracting head-up display and heated rear seats; equipment depended on trim and package. By December 31, 2018, sales were 14,026 in North America and over 80,000 worldwide.
The innovation. Eclipse Cross hosted the global launch of MITSUBISHI CONNECT, the brand’s connected-services system. Its head-up display used a separate transparent screen just beyond the steering wheel, close to the driver’s line of sight. The screen could retract into the dashboard; it was not a projection onto the windshield.
If you buy one usedNHTSA lists two recalls: the forward collision mitigation software could brake longer than needed after detecting a pedestrian (18V620, 2018–2019 Eclipse Cross), and the brake hydraulic unit software could prevent automatic emergency braking, ABS or stability control from working (18V621, 2018 model). Both are fixed free with a software update at the dealer; confirm by VIN that they were done. According to IIHS, the 2019 Eclipse Cross was a Top Safety Pick in SEL trim with the Touring-package LED headlights and optional front-crash prevention. The touchpad screen controller was dropped in the 2022 redesign. - Gen. 22022–present · Rediseño 2022 (misma generación)
Longer, roomier and touchpad-free
Photo: Gold Pony · CC BY 3.0 What changed. This was a substantial restyle of the existing generation, which Mitsubishi called “reimagined.” Revealed on October 15, 2020, it was available in the U.S. in 2021 as a 2022 model from $23,395. The original U.S. specification table gives 179.0 inches of length, over five inches longer, with the same 105.1-inch wheelbase. It gained an evolved Dynamic Shield front and a redesigned liftgate. MMNA advertised up to 23.4 cubic feet behind the second row and 50.1 with it folded; configuration affects capacity. The 8-inch unit moved two inches closer to the driver, the touchpad disappeared, and ES retained a 7-inch display. The PHEV launched in Japan and selected other markets; the U.S. restyled launch used the gasoline engine.
The innovation. Mitsubishi described the navigation system as the first production-vehicle implementation with what3words embedded directly; the supplier specifies the world-first offline capability. The service gives each three-meter square a three-word address. The U.S. 1.5-liter turbo 4B40 retained 152 hp and 184 lb-ft. S-AWC offered AUTO, SNOW and GRAVEL modes and was based on the same principles as the Outlander’s system, rather than necessarily identical hardware.
If you buy one usedThe exact NHTSA Mitsubishi/Eclipse Cross queries for model years 2022 through 2026 each returned zero campaigns on November 3, 2026. These are dated query results, not a guarantee about every alias or vehicle. Still, check the history by VIN before buying. Every version uses the same 1.5-liter turbo with a CVT; equipment varies by trim. S-AWC all-wheel drive was optional on 2022 U.S. models and became standard across the U.S. range for 2023. Since 2022, forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection and lane departure warning are standard; blind spot warning comes from the SE trim up.
Mitsubishi Outlander2001–present
Mitsubishi Mirage1985–2002 and 2014–2024
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport2011–present
Ford F-Series (F-150)1948–present
Toyota RAV41994–present (US from 1996)
Honda CR-V1995–present
Ram 15001981–present
Tesla Model Y2020–present
Chevrolet Silverado1999–present
