00:00Today we're checking out Mitsubishi's new Eclipse Cross Electric, which marks a change
00:12of direction for the Japanese carmaker. One of the first two EVs ever sold on a
00:19large-scale series production was the Mitsubishi IMF, and since then Mitsubishi has not had one
00:25single purely electric car. That changes today with the new Eclipse Cross Electric.
00:31We'll check it out right now. Welcome to REF!
00:42The Eclipse Cross is driven by an electric motor with a power output of 160 kilowatts, 218 horsepower,
00:50and the top speed is electronically limited to 170 kilometers an hour.
00:54And it can go from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 7.9 seconds.
01:00The launch version Mitsubishi puts on the market has an 87 kilowatt hour battery,
01:05that way it will give you a pure electric range of up to 635 kilometers according to WLTP,
01:14which is quite a good figure. Even if it will only reach some 450 or 500 kilometers in everyday use,
01:23that is definitely a range you can work with.
01:31What I like about the Eclipse Cross is the fact that it has a heat pump as standard,
01:36which is especially important in markets like Germany, where you tend to have quite cold winters,
01:42because that way it will save quite some energy while heating or cooling the car,
01:47which by the way can also be done before driving.
01:50Now, some of you might think, wait a second, the Eclipse Cross looks somewhat familiar,
02:02and that is no wonder, because the base is a Renault platform, and accordingly,
02:10you will also have a Renault model called Scenic that looks quite similar,
02:15but then has a few details that are different. But the technology comes from Renault.
02:29The interior of the Eclipse Cross looks quite nice to me. I like the design,
02:38I like the fact that it is quite dark. That is, of course, not for everyone.
02:43In our test car, we have a panoramic glass roof, but that will only be in the highest trim level.
02:48What you have as standard in this car is a 12-inch instrument cluster that will show you all the
02:57relevant information while you're driving. There is, however, no head-up display. That is a little sad,
03:02but you can live without. Our infotainment system also has 12 inches, but that is not standard. The
03:09standard version will have a 9-inch display, which is still more than enough, and it also has Android
03:15all to an Apple CarPlay wirelessly as standard. What I like is the fact that Mitsubishi kept physical
03:29buttons for the adjustment of the two-zone AC, which also comes as standard in every version of the car.
03:35That way, you can adjust the temperature without having to look at it. Maximum cargo space is 1670 liters.
03:43The seats are quite comfortable with a good support on the sides, so nothing to complain about in that aspect.
03:55The space in the back is absolutely okay. There is a lot of headroom left, quite some leg room. I've
04:01been sitting in the front before, so no problem whatsoever. As usual with electric cars, the battery in
04:10the floor will cause the floor and the interior to come up, and that way, as you can see, the legs
04:15will never be fully resting on the seat, but the softness of the seats themselves makes up for that,
04:22so there is no problem to sit back here for the more than 600 kilometers the car offers.
04:32The infotainment system is Android-based. You can definitely see that when you take a look at it,
04:37and of course by the fact that it has Google Maps on it, which is quite helpful if you have already
04:43gotten used to do that with your smartphone.
04:50As most electric cars nowadays, the Eclipse Cross has adjustable recuperation that can be done with
04:57the pedals behind the steering wheel from zero up to the maximum level of three and an additional one-pedal
05:04drive mode. The recuperation in max mode is quite strong, and if you then put the car in one-pedal drive
05:12mode and lift your foot off the accelerator, the car will come to a complete standstill quite quickly,
05:19and that is very useful for city traffic.
05:28On the other hand, if you're not driving in city traffic and still want strong recuperation,
05:33then you can put it to level three, and the car will not stop completely. That way, it will keep
05:39creeping forward at a slow speed, which is quite practical. There are quite some cars out there that
05:45either have this creeping version or have the version that stops completely, but you cannot choose
05:52whether or not the car should do this, and the fact that you can in the Mitsubishi is quite nice to me.
05:57Mitsubishi offers a five-year or 100,000 kilometer warranty on their cars. That is, of course,
06:18also true for the Eclipse Cross, which is quite good already, and if you want to, you can up that number
06:26to eight years and 160,000 kilometers. Of course, that is optional and you will have to pay for it,
06:32but then you will have quite a bit of peace of mind when owning such a car.
06:46Summing up my Eclipse Cross experience, I have to say, this is a very decent car with a nice design.
06:52Of course, it has some minor flaws, but which car doesn't have those nowadays?
06:56The entry-level price, however, of just under 48,000 euros in Germany is quite a bit of money,
07:03but then again, you have to take into account, this is a higher trim level with the big battery,
07:08and Mitsubishi plans to add an entry-level version with a smaller battery in mid-2026,
07:13and then the price should come down quite a bit.
07:16The EV's tech specs are decent, ride comfort is good,
07:20and easy-to-operate controls make it very driver-friendly.
07:27On the downside, the sound insulation could be better, and a heads-up display would have been nice.
07:33And though it's based on a Renault, the Eclipse Cross still looks like a Mitsubishi,
07:38thanks to its unique design features.
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