New Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – a Renault Scenic in Mitsubishi clothes

The new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross for Europe is revealed as a re-badged Renault Scenic. But will the new Eclipse come to the UK?

It’s been five years since Mitsubishi announced it was quitting the UK and Europe, letting the brand whither on the vine in the UK until it ran out of cars to sell, and even flogging off its heritage fleeet and personalised number plates.

It didn’t take Mitsubishi too long to backtrack on its plan to abandon the European market, making a return chiefly with re-badged Renaults, with the Colt, ASX and Grandis.

Now, there’s a new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross for Europe, and if the ever-stronger rumours that Mitsubishi is planning a return to the UK too, it’s a relevant reveal for the UK as well as Europe.

Mitsubishi hasn’t done a huge amount to differentiate the Eclipse Cross from the Scenic, but it does get a Mitsubishi face with new grille and new DLRs, and a back end that looks the same as the Scenics but with an added black strip.

Inside, the Mitsubishi tweaks run to new diamond-quilted seats and not much more, with the Scenic’s 12.3″ driver display and 12.0″ infotainment intact.

Under the skin, the Eclipse is unchanged from the Scenic with an 87kWh battery powering a 215bhp motor promising range of 372 miles.

It’s a decent offering from Mitsubishi, although re-badging an already two-year-old Scenic hardly shouts innovation.