Enthusiasts of yore will not be happy, well at least they may get turbo and AWD back

 

Thanks, but do you have a link or a narrative describing it?

Hers'a a couple of links and slideshows;

http://www.motortrend.com/news/11102...hree-quarter-3

http://autoweek.com/article/geneva-m...back-crossover

http://www.leftlanenews.com/mitsubis...oss-94563.html

 

Unfortunately no. These are just teaser pics you can get off Motortrend, Autoblog, Jalopnik etc..

You'll get more information about the new Eclipse (Cross) at the Geneva Auto Show

 

OK.....I just posted a few above that I found on a quick Google-search. Like you said.......doesn't tell us a whole lot, but it adds some more images.

 

I saw this. Perplexing move on their part calling it an "Eclipse". Even "Pajero" or "Montero" might possibly be an appropriate name introduction for this.

However if they want to end the Eclipse sportscar lineage here and now there are still a few other sporty car nameplates they can bring back in its stead: Starion, FTO, GTO/3000GT, Cordia, Colt, Galant GTO MR, anything with the VR-4 moniker that's at least partly turbocharged (because I expect they will be pushing hybrid tech from this point onward) and AWD and possibly AWS also. Even "Lancer" despite it being recently discontinued.

It's hard to tell if they will embrace any of that heritage again. Carlos Ghosn now controls Mitsubishi so if Nissan's product lineup for the last fifteen years has been any indication, it could be a mix of radical changes to products along with one or two nods to sporty or off-road heritage. So I understand it, Mitsubishi may have declined in the USA but it's still a huge player in small car markets elsewhere in the world.

In reading the article it says the platform is designed for a 6-speed manual and even a couple of diesels. Would be interesting if they did offer both of those here in this SUV.

 

I forgot they still exist except for the few times I see their commercials. With that said, Mitsu must be psychic. They already know they will be Eclipsed by everyone else.

 

Their main problem here in the U.S. (besides the current lack of an adequate vehicle line-up) is that they simply don't don't have an adequate network of dealerships any more. They are allowing exactly what happened to Isuzu and Suzuki to also happen to them....a slow death in the American market from lack of retail sales-outlets and (to a lesser extent) from discontinuing product lines. You can't sell vehicles without a place to actually sell them out of. It's a vicious cycle........dealerships keep closing up because they don't sell, but the fewer outlets you have, the less you will sell, period. Jus a few years ago, there were four or five Mitsubishi shops, even in the high-sales NoVA area, within reasonable driving distance.....now there is barely one.

And, of course, they didn't even show up at the D.C. Auto Show last month with a display...haven't for several years.

 

Slap in the face of Mitsu fans...
Bring back Evo, 3000GT, Eclipse, Galant, Diamante, Montero

The 90s were strong for this brand, horrible management ruined all momentum.

 

Unlike Isuzu and Suzuki, Mitsu had really really desirable products in the 1990's then they decided they no longer want to be a competitive car company. This downfall was due to poor management. Then again, Mitsu industries is so big, the automotive portion is more like a hobby or a loss leader to them.

 

Gallery

 

Turbocharged 4 cylinder engine and AWD standard. Its already more of an Eclipse than the abominations that were the 3rd and 4th gen cars.

As for this new SUV, it looks nice, both inside and out. Not a huge fan of the way they did the rear hatch, with the current gen Honda Civic tailights and that odd two pieces of glass like you see on a Prius or old CRX. Looks cool but at the expense of cargo room. Others are guilty of this(Lexus NX), but they still sell a lot of units despite the lack of rear cargo room.

As nice as this SUV looks, Mitsubishi is damaged goods(or just completely forgotten about) in the mind of the general public IMO. Tell the average joe on the streets you bought a new Mitsubishi, I bet they'd be surprised that they were still in business or say something like "oh I haven't seen one of those since the 90's when my buddy had an Eclipse". This new SUV looks nice, but it isn't a radical game changer, so just getting people to look at it to start with will be the real challenge for Mitsu. There are so many other good choices in this segment.

 

Interior of the Eclipse Cross looks inspired by the NX

 

Looks very nice. The body shape is how the RX hearse should have gone. Dashboard is pleasant, but a bit dated in design. There's a 90's Toyota or Hyundai that had the same center stack, but I just can't place it. Prego steering wheel needs to go on a big diet.

 

Good to see the Pontiac Aztec getting another run out.

 

Come on. I agree that the lower-front end and D-pillars in back could be better-styled, but AZTEC? That's a low blow.