The Eclipse Cross hits some notable highs. It is very much its own car in terms of design. There’s also its petrol powertrain, which demonstrates a likeable blend of frugality and firepower. Useful improvements are to be found within the cabin – material quality, in particular, is better than we’re using to seeing from the brand.
Reasonable residuals and an aggressive pricing strategy mean that, for a certain sort of buyer – likely those valuing its capability as much as anything – four-wheel-drive variants of the Eclipse Cross will prove tempting. But for all its alternative appeal, in front-wheel-drive form it falls too far wide of the mark on handling and drivability to be considered a top contender.
We don’t expect driver appeal from a car like this, but we certainly expect a car that’s as wieldy, composed and easy to place as any other compact family car. Allowing for the capability of the Eclipse Cross, some crossover buyers may be minded to forgive the car its dynamic foibles, but we suspect that’ll be a relatively unpopular indulgence.
