2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse

2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
NEW YORK - After last year's preview glimpses at the SST concept car, a vehicle that coined what Mitsubishi calls a "geo-mechanical" theme, the racy design has finally been incarnated in the body of the Eclipse.

The new Eclipse makes a visual statement that's unique, futuristic, and sporty all at the same time. The car's rear end, long in need of some serious attention, has been improved dramatically with the help of a more traditional trunkline and large, dramatic taillights that share cues with the new headlights.

While the new Eclipse's exterior is altogether larger than the car it replaces, the size was not necessarily utilized to provide more space for passengers. Front headroom is in fact unchanged, and front shoulder room and legroom have been decreased by one full inch in each direction. The cabin is therefore a little bit tighter than before, though rear passengers will find a modest increase in both headroom and shoulder room.

Mitsubishi fans may be surprised to find that there will be no turbo option on the 2000 Eclipse. Instead, the car will be powered by a choice of engines: a 2.4-liter SOHC four-valve that delivers 155 horsepower, or the 3.0-liter SOHC V6 borrowed from the Galant (good for 205 horsepower and 205 foot-pounds of torque). Power from the V6 should move the car from zero to 60 in 6.7 seconds.

Mated to the engines is a choice of five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic with "Sportronic" clutchless shifter. Both shift levers feature a baseball-shaped grip, and the manual stick even gets baseball stitching. One neat feature is the gas filler cap cover: instead of being hidden beneath a body-colored door it is finished in silver-matte nylon and made to resemble a race car's quick-fill fuel cap like on the new Audi TT.

More standard features include power windows and locks, and a theft immobilizer system. Seat-mounted side airbags are available as an option, as is a new in-dash CD changer that can be fed up to four CDs. Also optional are the spoiler and sunroof, and traction control is available only on the automatic V6.

Pricing has not been announced, but we don't expect it to differ from the current Eclipse range of between $16,000 for the base car and $25,000 for a fully loaded model. However, the 2000 Eclipse will not be available with all-wheel drive, a feature that Mitsubishi spokesman Kyle Bazemore says "accounted for about five percent of sales on the previous Eclipse." The new hatchback from Mitsubishi goes on sale in July of this year.