TOTAL ECLIPSE of the heart

Writer Carmen Lichi takes a hybrid for a spin

- Carmen Lichi

With sub-compact SUVs now all the rage, I was keen to see how Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid version, the Eclipse Cross PHEV Sport, would perform for me as a busy mum juggling freelance work with errands and post-kindy activities, as well as longer road trips.

Silently zipping through the streets of inner-city Auckland, this very user-friendly, futuristic-looking all-wheel-drive ride didn’t disappoint.

The first thing that struck me about the Eclipse was how bulletproof it felt. With my girl-racer days long gone and some precious, sticky-fingered cargo to consider, road safety is now my top concern. 

And with rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, I definitely felt safe.