After sitting out in the Indian car scene for years now, Mitsubishi is finally giving some serious thought to its Indian operations. According to a new report, it plans to launch the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross in the country by 2020.
The latest development is a confirmation directly from Uttam Bose, MD, Mitsubishi India. Speaking to Autocar India yesterday, Bose said: “Of the products in the pipeline, the launch of the Eclipse Cross will take place sooner.”
“It already has BS-VI-compliant engines, we just need to incorporate the OBD-II, a seatbelt reminder system and a speed alert system,” Bose commented on the SUV coupe’s compliance with the upcoming more stringent emission and safety regulations. “We’re planning to launch the Eclipse Cross by 2020,” he added.
Possibly the last global model developed entirely by Mitsubishi (Nissan has a 34% equity stake now), the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross was introduced at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. The SUV coupe shares the GS platform with the Mitsubishi ASX (Mitsubishi Outlander Sport/Mitsubishi RVR). It is 4,405 mm long, 1,805 mm wide and 1,685 mm high. It has a 2,670 mm wheelbase and 183 mm ground clearance.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is available with three engines: 4B11 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 4B40 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol and 4N14 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel. The 2.0L engine produces 150 PS and 198 Nm of torque. The 1.5L engine develops 150 PS and 250 Nm of torque. The 2.2L engine is tuned to deliver 150 PS and 400 Nm of torque. A CVT or an 8-speed automatic transmission sends power to the wheels, and customers can select a 4WD system. Options vary as per the engine and the market. The Indian-spec version will get the diesel engine and maybe one of the two petrol engines as well.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross comes equipped with LED headlamps & LED DRL, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED rear combination lamps connected via a full-width LED light bar, panoramic sunroof, head-up display, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 9-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system and more.
A plethora of advanced safety features are also available in the SUV coupe, including Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system with Lane Change Assist (LCA) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), 360-degree camera and electric parking brake with auto hold function. Most of these are unlikely to make it to the Indian-spec version, though.
Also Read: New Mitsubishi Pajero Sport to be launched in India around April 2019
There's no word on the pricing of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. No doubt that Mitsubishi will need to locally assemble it for competitive pricing and challenge the Honda CR-V or the Jeep Compass.
[Source: Autocar India]
