This morning, when I was on Schiphol Airport with the PR-guy from Mitsubishi, I ran into the PR-woman of Volvo.
When she asked me where I was going, he answered: "We're visiting Mitsubishi's XC40-killer."
It takes quite a lot of nerve and self-confidence to state something like that, and that's exactly what Mitsubishi needs.
Let's be honest, Mitsubishi hasn't been doing well the past few years.
That's about to change though. You could say it's because they were founded exactly 100 years ago,
that's a great stepping stone. More importantly however,
the brand has been taken in by the Renault-Nissan Group.
And that offers a lot of perspective. It means they gain access to new markets which are unexplored by Mitsubishi,
they gain access to new technologies, other engines, shared technologies...
It's all very good, so it's a good perspective for Mitsubishi.
But, today is about a completely new model. The first all-new model in quite a long time.
The Eclipse Cross.
Mitsubishi has great expectations for this car. It's got a very bold design for a Mitsubishi.
It's supposed to be inbetween the ASX and the Outlander, and that's a very successful segment.
So now Mitsubishi is able to get a piece of the action.
You could compare this car with the Toyota C-HR. That car is doing really well, so I've got high hopes for this.
The Eclipse Cross is partly a SUV/crossover, and partly a coupé.
A special mix between two body shapes, and that means it's got a very sloped line at the rear.
That also means you've got a very flat rear windshield. To solve that, they've split it in half.
It looks very fun, but it isn't very practical, because the rear sight isn't too good.
Mitsubishi has really payed attention to the interior. It's really neat, clear,
and they've solved the usual boring black Japanese interiors...
...by using all kinds of materials. Aluminium-colored panels, a carbon-like look.
Things like that spice and freshen things up in here.
It's also stuffed with safety features. It's good and all,
but the Lane Departure is a tad nervous. It doesn't seem to understand the choice 'cross the line or into the ravine',
on roads like this...
The seating position is very good. I'm very good in here,
it's very spacious in the back as well. It's got a large boot,
you can slide the rear seat forward up to 20 centimetres, just to increase the luggage space even more if you want.
That's something what makes car very practical, and that's what you want in this segment.
It's got a limited engine lineup. At this time,
there's only a 1.5-litre available which produces 163 horsepower.
It is a brand new engine though. And it's a nice one;
it's got direct injection and it's fitted with a turbocharger. It produces 250 Nm of torque, and it's a nice, powerful and smooth engine.
Mitsubishi has done a good job.
In this more expensive version, it's connected to a CVT.
I have to admit, I don't really like CVT-gearboxes, but if there's enough power in the engine,
you can program the CVT in a way it will always stay low in the revs.
And that's exactly what this does as well, so it's quite a pleasant CVT to drive.
If you get a less expensive version, you'll get a manual six-speed gearbox.
There's a downside to that limited engine lineup though.
It's got quite a lot of CO2-emissions, so it isn't as fiscally attractive as its rivals in the Netherlands.
Mitsubishi wants to be very dynamic, and when it comes to the design of this car; they've nailed that.
It's got a very comfortable chassis as well. The first hour and a half,
we've been driving on highways. That's when I noticed how pleasant and comfortable this car actually is.
It's a really good travelling car.
Here in the mountains however, you notice it's struggling a little.
Especially the rear axle. The outward stroke has a small delay,
so if you're driving over a pothole or a bump in a tight corner, it does tend to really step aside.
On the other hand, it's suffers from understeer, it heaves about... It just isn't very dynamic.
But, just like I said before, it's incredibly comfortable.
It's a very good travel companion.
For now it's only available with this 1.5-litre version, but in time a diesel will be added to the shelves as well.
Mitsubishi isn't planning on releasing a plug-in hybrid version, but an electrified version will become available as well,
whatever that might mean.
The Eclipse Cross will reach Dutch dealerships at the end of this year, so they'll be able to have a fresh start next year with their new model.
If it will become a success? Time will tell.
I sure hope so, because they're a very sympathetic company.