Mitsubishi has revived another old name with the new Grandis compact SUV, a rebadged Renault Symbioz set to take the place of the Eclipse Cross in some markets.
Mitsubishi has turned to its manufacturing alliance with Nissan and Renault yet again for its latest new model.
The new Mitsubishi Grandis, which revives the name of a seven-seat people mover built from 2003 to 2011, will effectively become the small SUV replacement for the Eclipse Cross.
A new front bumper design, with top-to-bottom black masking, mimics the look of the Renault-sourced ASX. Lighting signatures and other details have also been tweaked slightly from their original Renault design.
In terms of size, the Grandis should be around 135mm shorter than the existing Eclipse Cross, with a 32mm shorter wheelbase and a roofline that sits 115mm higher, based on the dimensions of the Symbioz.
The mild-hybrid system uses a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine and a 12-volt starter-generator for a 103kW total output. Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The hybrid Grandis uses a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated engine rated at 80kW, a 36kW primary electric motor and a 15kW secondary motor for a combined 115kW, mated to an automatic transmission only.
Unlike the Eclipse Cross, Mitsubishi has not announced the arrival of a plug-in hybrid of the Grandis, nor is there one ready to adapt from the Renault Symbioz.
Under the skin, the Grandis and Symbioz are built atop the Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform, as used beneath the Renault Arkana, Nissan Juke, and Renault Captur.
In Europe, the Mitsubishi Grandis will be equipped with a 10.4-inch portrait touchscreen with connected services and Google built-in functionality.
Despite this, the Eclipse Cross remains on sale with previously imported stock still able to be sold, along with remaining on sale in other markets around the world.
With its more modern underpinnings and four-star Euro-NCAP rating, the Grandis would offer a more modern and comprehensive safety package.
The Grandis is available with technologies including front and rear autonomous emergency braking, automatic high beam, emergency lane keeping assist, intelligent speed assistance, safe exit alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver attention monitoring.
A Mitsubishi Australia spokesperson told Drive that there were no plans to introduce the Grandis at this stage.
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
