Mitsubishi muscles in on Toyota as new Eclipse Cross PHEV sizes up the RAV4 Hybrid

The new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross will be almost as big as a Mazda CX-5 or Toyota RAV4, as new detailed around the incoming PHEV continue to emerge.

We already know the updated Eclipse Cross will arrive before the April 2021, and will be fitted with a plug-in hybrid powertrain designed to lure shoppers away from vehicles like Toyota C-HR Hybrid. But the vehicle's new dimensions also suggest it could now be cross-shopped against cars like the RAV4 Hybrid, too.

In a new teaser video, Mitsubishi's Program Design Director, Hideyasu Nakagami, says the Eclipse Cross will be significantly bigger than the vehicle it replaces.

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"The design concept is bold and elegant, the total length has been extended by 140mm, and it has evolved into a sleek and dynamic proportion like a coupe SUV," he said.

"The front emphasises elegance and dynamism. It is a sporty Dynamic Shield that has a sharp and three-dimensional hexagonal rear-end motif that expresses robustness, and combined with the newly designed rear combination lamp, it gives a sense of stability and wideness."

The current Eclipse Cross is relatively large for a small SUV, stretching 4405mm in length. But the new one, it seems, will be bigger again, measuring 4545mm. That pushes the Mitsubishi much closer to mid-size SUV powerhouses like the Mazda CX-5 (4550mm) and the RAV4 (4615mm).

While exactly what wil be powering the new Eclipse Cross PHEV remains to be seen, it is thought the powetrain will be borrowed from the brand's Outlander PHEV, which uses a 94kW/199NM 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine along with two electric motors. It delivers a all-EV driving range of around 55km.