The Eclipse Cross currently on sale barely wheezes out 152 horsepower from its 1.5-liter turbo-four. The uninspired powertrain is one thing, the fact that the vehicle is a crossover is another, but the decision to equip the crossover with a CVT instead of a regular gearbox illustrates just how far the nameplate has fallen. It no longer represents something fun and stylish, something that your kids might one day want to drive.
In fact, it’s not even that good in its new life as a family car. It’s not all that ugly, it has a large cargo area, and the ride is comfy. But it feels old, the cabin is bland, the engine struggles, and in a world also populated by the likes of the Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-50, there’s nothing about the Eclipse Cross to tempt you away from the tried and trusted recipes of other Japanese automakers.
Simply put, the Eclipse Cross was a weak attempt to capture some of the excitement of the original, and it shows.
