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Mitsubishi is in a bit of a bind at the moment. It's still suffering the after-effects of having had to admit that it was lying about its fuel economy figures, and it's just been bought out by Nissan. Seems like a good idea to launch a Qashqai rival then...
Actually, a Qashqai rival is exactly what Mitsubishi needs right now, as it's trying to get by with a largely aged model range (even the recently-updated Outlander is actually quite an old design).
The new Eclipse Cross looks smart, with the Outlander-like face up front, and at the back it looks more than a little bit like the last-generation Honda Civic. It rides on the same platform as the current Outlander, and will be offered at first with either a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, or the same 2.2-litre diesel as the Outlander. Six-speed manual, eight-speed automatic and a CVT gearbox will all be available.
Inside is where the real improvements have been made though. Mitsubishi has rightly copped a lot of flack for the quality of its current cabins, but the Eclipse looks almost Lexus-like inside, and praise comes no higher. There's a big 'floating' centre screen, lots of aluminium trim and a general sense of high quality. Space is good too, even if that sharply sloped roofline eats into rear headroom a bit.
The only downside to all of this is that we will have to wait almost a year to get one. Mitsubishi Ireland has confirmed that the Eclipse will arrive in time for the 181 numberplate next January. The petrol 1.5 will be the first to arrive, while the 2.2 diesel will follow on later.