What's the difference?
The Genesis GV80 SUV has cultivated a quiet but firm following since its debut but there's a new variant on offer - the coupe.
Offered in one highly-specified grade level for our market, the GV80 3.5T Luxury AWD Coupe proves to be a fierce competitor with luxury and handling for it's European rivals - the BMW X6, Range Rover Velar and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.
However, the price point is starting to creep a little closer to its rivals, which might not be to everyone's fancy.
I've been family testing the GV80 for a week to see if it gets the seal of approval from my little family of three, read on to find out how it went.
The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has a new high-tech powertrain that allows it to run as an electric car, or run using the petrol engine, or even use both at the same time.
But the new hybrid SUV is not like a Toyota hybrid - because this one can be plugged in at home to recharge the batteries, and you should be able to get at least 50 kilometres of EV driving out of just a few dollars worth of electricity.
We’re talking about the new 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Plug-in Hybrid EV, or PHEV as we’ve called it in the past. The brand has renamed it to include both ‘Hybrid’ and ‘EV’ in the name because, well, it reckons those terms have a bit more cut-through today than when the company first launched its Outlander PHEV back in 2014.
But with the new Eclipse Cross PHEV variants attracting a huge premium over the regular petrol-turbo models, does the extra money buy you a better car? Let’s find out.
The Genesis GV80 Coupe is a rare breed – it comes packed to the gills with features, has great ownership benefits and can easily accommodate a large family in comfort.
The fuel economy isn’t great but it looks and acts the part of a true luxury SUV. My husband and son were impressed and enjoyed all of the features it has.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Plug-in Hybrid EV is an interesting inclusion for the brand, especially as it is typically considered a ‘value player’ in the market.
But with negligible real-world fuel consumption benefits if you drive beyond the limited EV range and a high price premium over the non-PHEV models, it’s important you see if the sums add up for your particular needs.
Primarily going to use the car for running around town? Cool. Think the 50-ish-kay EV range will work for you and make you happy? Amazing. Sold on the look of the car? Hat tipped.
But let me say this - if you are considering the Eclipse Cross PHEV, there are some alternatives you should also have on your list, including the MG HS PHEV, the Hyundai Ioniq PHEV, Kia Niro PHEV, and - the one I’d buy - a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. For me, plug-in hybrid tech is a bit of a halfway house, in most instances offering too high a price premium for the range you’re getting to drive electric. Heck, a Kona Electric isn’t much more than the top-spec Exceed PHEV, and I’d have that if I wanted a real day-to-day EV experience.