Mitsubishi Eclipse on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi recalls 141,000 Lancers, Outlanders, and Outlander Sports

Mitsubishi issued two recalls this month, one big, one small, that affect several cars from the brand's past and current lineup. The major recall covers old Lancers, Lancer Sportbacks, Outlanders, and Outlander Sports that might have an issue with corrosion weakening the suspension. The second recall affects the current-generation Outlander and Outlander PHEV that have improperly built seat belt assemblies. NHTSA campaign No. 20V279000 states that Mitsubishi is recalling 141,200 2008-2010 Lancers, 2010 Lancer Sportbacks, 2008-2013 Outlanders, and 2011-2016 Outlander Sports due to the possibility that the front cross member on these vehicles might be damaged. If these vehicles encountered road salt, snowmelt water, and anti-freezing agents, the cross member could corrode. If the cross member corrodes, there is a slight possibility the front control arm could detach and create an extremely dangerous situation.  This recall only pertains to vehicles in the Salt Belt region, which includes Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C. Mitsubishi dealerships will inspect affected cars and make a judgment call from there. If the damage is minimal or non-existent, Mitsubishi will spray and seal the cross member with new anti-corrosion protection. If the cross member is damaged, Mitsubishi will replace it for free.  NHTSA campaign No. 20V280000 affects 3,238 2019-2020 Outlanders and 2019 Outlander PHEVs due to potentially faulty seat belts. On these vehicles the seat belts for the second-row passenger-side seat might have the wrong part. "Due to inappropriate manufacturing process at the supplier, the guide piece (which is a component part of the second-row seat belts’ anchorage) for the left side seat belt was mistakenly assembled with the right side seat belt, causing seat belt restraint efficiency for vehicle occupants to decrease in the vehicle collisions," a recall document states. Mitsubishi dealerships will inspect the seat belts in affected cars and replace them, if necessary. It is believed only 1% of the 3,238 vehicles have the defect. Visit the NHTSA for more information.

Mitsubishi teams up with Amazon to unveil 2022 Outlander

We're all familiar with the phenomenon of the oversized Amazon package, where a box large enough for a chandelier arrives on your front step but contains nothing but nail clippers and a half-deflated string of packaging balloons. Well, the largest Amazon package we've seen is now the driveway-sized one said to enclose a 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander. On February 16, the Triple Diamond marque and Amazon are joining forces to debut the carmaker's next mid-sized SUV. The pair have released a teaser showing a massive cardboard box sitting on the driveway of a super swanky house that we're not 100% sure isn't computer-generated. In any case, the point is that it will be the first car to make its debut on Amazon Live, a streaming service that we did not know existed until now. From what we can tell after a cursory skim, it's a YouTube-esque platform but where streamers talk about items that are available for sale on Amazon. And just in case there was any doubt, the teaser video comes with the disclaimer, "Amazon does not deliver vehicles." That's probably a good thing, if you don't want your 2022 Outlander to arrive pre-dented. As part of the launch, Mitsubishi Motors is also giving away one 2022 Outlander to one lucky winner. You can throw your name in the hat at Mitsubishi's website or at Amazon.com/MitsubishiOutlander between February 16 and March 31, 2021. We already have a pretty good idea of what the 2022 Outlander will look like, thanks to leaked photos and Mitsubishi's own teaser video. Its sheetmetal is based on the Engelberg Tourer, named after the Swiss ski resort, and is quite a bold departure from the current Mitsubishi corporate face.  Underneath, we're expecting two drivetrains. One is a Nissan 181-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-four mated to a CVT for entry-level models. The second is a Mitsubishi-built plug-in hybrid variant mated to a 2.4-liter engine. Early reports say that it could double the battery-only range from 22 to 43 miles. The unveiling will take place at 6:00 pm Eastern Time. Hopefully, no porch bandits steal the box before then. You can see the teaser video here. Related Video:

2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Quick Spin Review | Space and power make it worth your consideration

The subcompact crossover market is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry. That can make it tough to stand out. Some highlight style, like with the Hyundai Kona and Jeep Renegade. Some go for a bargain focus such as with the Nissan Kicks. Our subject in this case, the 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, earns a look for its remarkable space, strong powertrain and generally good value. The Eclipse Cross's spaciousness is its ultimate party trick, especially for its small size. From the driver's seat, your 5-foot 11-inch and somewhat heavy author could find a very comfortable driving position with loads of head room and leg room. The seating position is high with loads of visibility. The generous headroom also keeps you from feeling like you're sitting on top of the car. The front seats don't have much shape to them, but the cushions are thick and soft enough that they're plenty comfortable. I was also surprised at how easy it was to get in and out of the Eclipse Cross. The door opening is quite large, thanks to a high roof and reasonably low floor, plus the relatively high seat. This kind of easy ingress and egress I don't see often except for in minivans such as our long-term Chrysler Pacifica. More impressive than the space in the front is the space in the back. I could sit behind myself with a few inches to spare in front of my knees. I can't even say that about many comparably-sized cars let alone the current crop of cramped crossovers. The back seats are flat and firmer than I would like, but they do recline and can slide fore and aft to make more room for cargo or passengers. All of this fits into a package that's about 5 inches shorter than a Honda Civic hatchback, one of the most spacious small cars on the market. Cargo space is close to the Civic, too. With the seats up, it's slightly behind the Honda at 22.6 cubic feet (22.1 for our SEL with the subwoofer and moonroof) versus 25.7. But with the 60/40 split seats folded, the Eclipse Cross jumps ahead with 48.9 cubic feet versus the Civic's 46.2. The rest of the interior is less impressive. The plastics, while varied in texture and finish, are cheap and hard. The infotainment offers two ways to interact with it, either with the touchscreen or a touch pad, but neither is great. The touchscreen is far away, and the touch buttons on either side are annoying, and the touch pad is only slightly better than the terrible Lexus touch pad interface.