Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs Zeekr 7X

What's the difference?

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.

The first thing that comes to mind in summing up the Zeekr 7X Performance is value. So much standard equipment for the money, stunning acceleration, top-shelf safety and a solid ownership package. It’s also practical, comfortable and the design inside and out is sleek. This electric SUV has thrown down a hefty gauntlet in challenging its existing opposition and there’s no doubt if you’re in this part of the market you should take a close look.

You’re going to be able to tell the PHEV model from its more conventional counterparts by those oversized ‘Plug-in Hybrid EV’ badges on the front doors, and if you want to tell those behind you what you’re driving, there’s also a ‘PHEV’ badge there, too. Wait, wasn’t the plan to do away with the term ‘PHEV’, Mitsubishi? 

But aside from that, the outside features just the different 18-inch alloy wheels (which are the same on all PHEV models, no matter the cost - I think that’s a bit lame, because if I’m spending $7500 on the Exceed I’d like a different wheel design!). Oh, and the Aspire and Exceed get that different lower front splitter, too.

Plus the PHEV has two fuel filler doors - one on each side of the car over the rear wheels. The driver’s side one is the EV charging ports (x2 - detailed below), and the passenger’s side one is for the petrol. Note: while the EV port is push-openable, the petrol cap still requires you to lift a lever in the driver’s footwell. 

It may be categorised a small SUV but at 4545mm long, riding on a 2670mm wheelbase, 1805mm wide and 1685mm tall, it’s big for its boots. The popular Mazda CX-5 is only 5mm longer, and it plays in the midsize SUV segment!

Inside there are some design differences, with a specific gear joystick-style selector, and a different instrument panel.

It is impressive how the brand has managed to shoehorn a petrol engine, two electric motors, a battery pack and more into the car, but there are some practicality implications. Read about them in the next section.

The 7X was developed at the Zeekr Design and Technology centre in Gothenburg, Sweden and arguably its most distinctive design element is the full-width band across the nose with standard LED headlights and DRL strip below. 

They’d be matrix units if we were in China and the black band would house Zeekr’s ‘Stargate’ panel capable of displaying words and digital animations. But ANCAP crash-test requirements put the kybosh on that for Australia and it’s been replaced by the black cover. But there’s still room to play with animations on the lights that remain, including musical accompaniment through internal and external speakers. 

Other than that, the car’s overall shape and proportions have a touch of Porsche Macan about them with a bulging mid-section and racy 21-inch rims filling the wheel arches.

There’s a slim, tail-light bar across the rear, a concealed wiper and an integrated spoiler on the top of the tailgate contributing to a smooth, clean look. No surprise, drag co-efficient is a slippery 0.25.

Inside, the fuss-free theme continues with a multi-layered dash design dominated by the 16-inch central media screen, compact digital instrument display and split-level centre console. And we’ll get to interacting with it all shortly.

Admirable restraint has been exercised in the simple surfacing and choice of trim materials with enough decoration to add visual interest.

Up front, the cabin is a pretty smart place, with nice enough materials and finishes, and a few good storage options. There’s a cubby in front of the shifter, but oddly enough it doesn’t have a wireless charger (there are 2x USB 2.0 ports above) and isn’t quite big enough for a smartphone (even the smaller ones don’t fit there all that easily), and there are cup holders between the seats, a decent covered centre console bin, and door pockets large enough for bottles.

The PHEV models get a different instrument cluster dial for EV driving readout info, but all have the old-school 4.2-inch TFT colour display that lacks the size and usability of some rivals with larger info screens - the MG HS PHEV, for instance, has a 12.3-inch digital display, which shows you a lot more info than this tiny little screen does. Heck, there’s not even a digital speedometer in there - and you only get one if you buy the Exceed model, which has a head-up display (HUD).

That’s part of the problem with the way this car’s interface operates. If you want the most detailed information you need to use the touchscreen media system, but that negates the usability of the media functions. On multiple occasions I found myself switching between Apple CarPlay phone calls and searching for that particular driving info screen I found most useful (there are about 15 screens to choose from, and plenty of them are hard to decipher).

It’s a huge disappointment for a customer who might want to see all that detailed information but also listen to a podcast, answer a call, follow their phone’s mapping or just have anything other than the hybrid info come up on the infotainment screen. The screen itself - an 8.0-inch unit, with sat nav integrated into the top spec only - is fine, but small compared to today’s rivals.

In the back seat, there’s a compromise for cabin space. The leg room is good, but the seat has been bumped up to accommodate some of the electrical hardware and the petrol tank, meaning someone my size (182cm/6’0”) will find they’ve got enough room for their legs but not their head, and those even larger will really need to take care getting in and out. While pre-facelift examples of this car had a clever sliding second row seat, that’s gone. It was never a feature in any PHEV version, and undoubtedly the layout of the battery pack has something to do with that. 

The double pane sunroof no doubt eats into the space in the rear to a degree as well, and in the Exceed it likely feels a bit more cramped because of the black headliner. 

While three adults could potentially fit across the back row for very short trips, there are dual ISOFIX and three top-tether points for child seats. The Exceed is the one you want if you’re aiming to treat your rear-seat passengers right: it has heated rear outboard seats, rear directional air vents and two USB ports for charging - the ES and Aspire miss out on all that stuff.  

Boot space is 359L (VDA) for PHEV models, which is a step down from the 405 litres (VDA) for the non-hybrid models. There is extra hardware under the floor, and you don’t get a spare wheel in the PHEV models either - instead there’s a tyre repair kit. For context, we only just managed to fit all three CarsGuide hard suitcases (124L, 95L and 36L) in the boot of the PHEV version, while it was far less of an issue in the non-PHEV.

Oddly, no model comes with a power tailgate. 

So, before even getting in the car it’s worth talking about this Performance grade’s auto-opening doors.

The physical door handles are still present but inoperative (except in an emergency), so it’s a press of a button on the B-pillar, or a swipe card if you prefer, and open sesame. 

There’s ‘pinch protection’ for the windows on all side doors and impact avoidance which means it will stop short of denting your neighbour at the car park.

After a week of press-button experience I could easily live without this functionality but my significant other loved it. So, personal preference reigns supreme.

At close to 4.8 metres long, a touch over 1.9m wide and around 1.7m tall (with a 2900mm wheelbase) the 7X is a ‘large’ medium SUV and the interior reflects its generous external dimensions. 

There’s plenty of breathing space and a bright open feel thanks in part to the standard panoramic glass roof with power-sliding shade.

In the front, in terms of practicality, there’s a large, deep bin between the seats with a lid that opens from the left and right, another section with two swing-out cupholders and a roll-top lid, plus a big area in the lower console plus generous door bins. And there are handy flip-top boxes in the door armrests.

Worth noting on our test example, opening and closing the sliding cover over the cupholder section generated a groaning noise like oversize nails scraping down a blackboard, which didn’t exactly fit the premium vibe.

The glove box is opened with a button on the dash, which feels overly complicated. But then, in terms of power and connectivity there are twin 50W device charging bays and two USB-C sockets in the lower console.

In a big win for parents loading small kids into car seats, the rear doors open to 90 degrees. Then for storage, you’ve got map pockets on the front seat backs, decent door bins, two cup or bottle holders and a lidded box in the pull-down centre armrest, a small oddments tray at the back of the centre console and a pair of drawers under the seat.

And in the back, in terms of space, sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position, I’ve got ample headroom, legroom and more than enough foot room. 

There are power window shades, individual ventilation outlets in the B-pillars to manage the climate control for the rear section as well as one USB-A and a USB-C socket in the armrest box.

And then, there’s the Occupant Monitoring System, a camera view of the rear seat which instantly does away with the awkward 180-degree parental head turn from the front seats. A small camera in the B-pillar is activated by a dash-mounted button for a wide-angle, picture-in-picture video image on the main media screen. 

And don’t worry, if you’re in the back and don’t appreciate the attention, a simple sliding cover over the lens can block the shot. 

With the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright the 7X boasts 539 litres (VDA) of boot space, which is pretty handy, and that number expands to a hefty 1978L with the back seat down. 

There’s a load-through hatch, tie-down anchors, multiple bag hooks, specific lighting, a 12-volt socket and two storage compartments under the floor. The height of the power tailgate is adjustable but there’s no hands-free function.

Braked trailer towing capacity is 2.0 tonnes (750kg unbraked) and it’s worth noting vehicle-to-load functionality (using a specific discharge cable in the main charge port) is onboard.

But there’s no spare tyre of any description, with a repair/inflator kit your only option, which in this market isn’t good enough.

The Zeekr 7X starts at $57,900, before on-road costs, for the Single motor RWD version, rising to $63,900 for the Long range RWD and $72,900 for this Performance model.

At that money the 7X Performance lines up against a diverse group of primo EV SUVs like the Cupra Tavascan, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV5, MG IM6, Skoda Enyaq, Subaru Solterra, Tesla Model Y, Toyota bZ4X and VW ID.5. Not to mention its corporate Geely twin under the skin, the Polestar 4.

But cost-of-entry is one thing. The number of included features for the price is another and this car is properly loaded.

Aside from the performance and safety tech we’ll get to shortly the highlights are Nappa leather trim, 14-way power-adjustable front seats (with memory, heating, ventilation and massage functions), a leather-trimmed, heated and power-adjustable steering wheel, heated power-reclining (to 10 degrees) rear seats, a rear seat ‘Occupant Monitoring System’ (more on this later), a 16-inch multimedia display, 36-inch head-up display and digital instrument screen.

There’s also 2160-watt, 21-speaker audio, three-zone climate control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, multi-colour ‘Ripple Effect’ interior ambient lighting, all LED exterior lighting, auto door opening, a panoramic glass roof (with power sunshade), a power tailgate, heated and power-folding exterior mirrors, rear privacy glass (plus power sunshades) and 21-inch forged alloy rims. 

That’s heaps and there’s even more. Enough to put serious pressure on the competitors mentioned above.

The plug-in hybrid version runs a non-turbocharged 2.4-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine producing just 94kW and 199Nm.

Meagre outputs, but the petrol unit is backed by two electric motors - the front motor has outputs of 60kW/137Nm, while the rear motor produces 70kW/195Nm. It’s all controlled by a single-speed transmission.

There is no ‘combined power output’ figure, but there is a 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack as part of the equation as well.

The engine can power the battery pack in series hybrid driving mode, so if you want to top up the batteries before you get to a city, you can. And there is regenerative braking, of course. More on recharging in the next section.

The Zeekr 7X Performance is powered by dual electric motors, asynchronous magnet on the front axle and permanent magnet at the rear. Combined power is 475kW with peak torque at a grunty 710Nm.

That amount of muscle is up there at the top of the category with the likes of the MG IM6 Performance (572kW/802Nm), Tesla Model Y Performance (461kW/741Nm) and even the track-ready Hyundai Ioniq 5 N (448kW/740Nm).

The Eclipse Cross PHEV has an official combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 1.9L/100km. That’s astounding, really, but you need to realise that the test calculation is only for the first 100 kays - there’s a really good chance your real-world consumption will be a lot higher, as you can only deplete the battery charge once before calling on the engine (and your petrol tank) to juice it back up.

Electric driving range is stated at 55km based on NEDC cycle testing, while the WLTP rating is a more realistic 45km. In our testing we fell between the two during our “fully charged” 100km run, in which the electric charge initially ran for 50km. But, over the 100km run, the dashboard info screen said the car used “82 per cent” electric driving, while somehow also showing 3.9L/100km for petrol consumption.

I did the numbers at the fuel filler, and the actual return was 4.5L/100km. That’s okay, but not nearly as spectacular as you might hope, and I’ve seen very close in a RAV4 hybrid - which in most instances is cheaper than the Eclipse Cross despite being bigger and, frankly, a lot better.

I also ran the car for a further 100 kays without plugging in, just to see what the ‘worst case scenario’ might be - and it wasn’t too bad, with the fuel consumption jumping to a real-world return of 5.5L/100km. But again, that’s worse than you’ll likely get with a RAV4…

When it comes to charging/recharging, there is available AC charging using a Type 2 plug that can fully recharge the battery in as little as 3.5 hours, according to the brand. DC fast charging with a CHAdeMO plug should fill from zero to 80 per cent in 25 minutes. Maximum charge input is 3.6kW.

Like me, you’ll want to do the maths to see what is going to be the most economical way to run your car - aside from just plugging it in at the office and hoping nobody notices.

A standard 10-amp household plug - which should take about seven hours to replenish the batteries - could cost as little as $1.88 to get back your circa-50km EV range - that’s based on overnight charging, off-peak, on an average 13.6c/kWh electricity price. Of course, if you’re considering a PHEV, you might have a solar array and the electricity could well be free. Good for you.

But remember, there’s more to it than just the electricity costs - you need to also consider the additional purchase budget required just to get into the PHEV model over a regular Eclipse Cross. 

The 7X boasts an 800V electrical architecture which means it has 420kW charging capability and even though the max public charging output currently available here is 350kW, at that level you can expect the 100kW NMC battery to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around 13 minutes. AC charging is a handy 22kW for 10-100 per cent charging in four hours.

Claimed (WLTP) range is 543km and on test we saw average energy use of 18.8kWh/100km, which is in the middle of Zeekr’s claim of 17.7-19.9kWh/100km for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle and more than acceptable for an EV of this size and weight.

If you’re after that electric car thrill of near-silent, almost mind-blowing acceleration, the Eclipse Cross mightn’t be the right car for you

But if swift progress and the buzz you get from taking off from the traffic lights without any hesitation at all is more your thing, it could be great for you. And if you’re not quite ready to go “full EV”, then it’s probably something you’re considering.

The EV driving mode is the best driving mode in this car. You can run it just on the petrol engine to ensure you save your battery range, and you might choose to do that when you’re driving on the freeway and know you’re approaching an urban area where the EV goodness will be better used. Or you could have it so it's using battery and petrol power, and that’s where you’ll get maximum combined performance.

But running the car in the default, EV-prioritised mode means you will make the best of this powertrain's strengths, because - for the fifty odd kays you’ll get out of the battery - it’s pretty good.

It’s also impressive the way this powertrain dips between petrol engine, battery pack or both at higher speeds. When the battery range had depleted on my test drive, the engine kicked in almost imperceptibly, working to power the car and also generate more electricity for the battery pack. It then dipped out of petrol, back to battery, and so on and so forth, multiple times during my drive. 

The best thing about the way it did so was that it was smooth. There is barely any vibration from the petrol engine, the transmission doesn’t have any gears to fumble with, and overall the refinement is really good.

There are drive modes - Eco, Normal, Snow, Gravel and Tarmac - and in my test I kept to Normal. I did fiddle with the regenerative braking reactiveness, though, using the paddleshifters to dial up or down the aggressiveness of the energy recoup system. It doesn’t feel as aggressive as some pure electric cars, but thankfully it has a decent pedal feel and progression when you apply the brakes yourself. 

The steering is light and lacks feel, and doesn’t offer that much engagement or involvement. That might matter to you if you’re like me. I wish it was more fun. But at least it’s easy to park.

While the suspension is fine and comfortable on the highway, it can feel wooden and the ride is quite lumpy at low speeds. It never really feels all that well resolved for urban driving, which is a bit of a downer considering that’s likely where a car like this will spend most of its time

The tune of the suspension - being a bit firm at lower pace - surprisingly doesn’t have any payoff when it comes to cornering, as it lacks a bit of body control, shifting its weight side to side. 

All in all it is a decent plug-in hybrid offering – and will be perfectly suitable to someone who wants some EV driving as a part of their lifestyle. It’s just a matter of doing the maths as to whether it will work for you.

So, even at around 2.5 tonnes, with all that power and torque under your right foot, the 7X Performance can rocket from 0-100km/h in a supercar-like 3.8 seconds. It is properly quick.

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front and a five-link set-up at the rear and the hefty body is well-controlled in the main, although you can feel modest lateral movement on quick changes of direction. 

The ‘Continuous Control’ air suspension has three settings - Comfort / Standard / Sport - with a distinct difference between them.

In Comfort, small bumps and ruts still make their presence felt, but overall ride compliance is impressive. Hot tip is to avoid the Sport mode unless you’re determined to press on through your favourite set of corners, or (implausibly) line up for a track day.

The 7X rides on Zeekr’s ‘SEA’ (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform which features an integrated alloy diecast rear section which seemingly makes a ‘solid’ contribution to overall refinement and noise reduction.

Speaking of which, wind noise is close to imperceptible even at freeway speeds, helped in no small part by the car’s slippery drag coefficient.

The accurate speed-sensitive steering delivers good road feel, which isn’t always the case with larger EVs, and the big 21-inch (265/40) Continental EcoContact 7 tyres are pleasingly quiet while gripping with reassuring determination.

Braking is by ventilated discs all around with chunky four-piston calipers up front. There are two levels of regenerative braking and a ‘single-pedal’ setting, although the latter is best treated as a third regen level because it seems reluctant to bring the car to a full stop quickly enough, even in slow-moving traffic.

Important to mention crash-avoidance safety aids like lane-keeping assist and driver fatigue monitoring don’t intrude unduly. There are subtle occasional vibrations through the steering wheel and only when necessary. 

You’ve also got a 360-degree overhead view and a good quality reversing camera, both of which are super-handy when manoeuvring. Or if you want some real assistance ‘Automatic Park Assist’ will help you slot the car into the space you’re aiming for, as well.

Ergonomically speaking, while there’s a physical control for audio volume something like exterior mirror adjustment for example is via the combination of a screen slider and a steering wheel control which is fussy. That said, progression through screens and functions for media and car settings is logical and quick thanks in part to a grunty Qualcomm Snapdragon chip platform.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, an 11.6m turning circle is useful for a car of this size, the mega audio system cranks (with the driver’s headrest speaker a highlight) and the adaptive cruise works well, picking up acceleration rapidly when pulling out to overtake a slower-moving car in front.

While the 7X hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP yet it’s fair to assume a maximum five-star result sooner rather than later, in line with its Euro NCAP score. 

And crash-avoidance safety tech is through the roof. Fifteen key ADAS functions including adaptive cruise, auto emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, a parking assist system and more. There are 12 hi-def cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars and a millimeter-wave radar on the job.

The airbag count runs to seven, including a front centre bag, and there are three top tethers for child seats across the second row, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions. And a big tick for ‘Post-Impact Braking’ designed to minimise the chances of subsequent collisions after an initial crash.

Suffice it to say the 7X Performance sits on the top safety shelf.

There’s a huge 10 year/200,000 kilometre warranty on offer - but it’s valid if you maintain your car with Mitsubishi’s dedicated dealer service network over the 10 years/200,000km timeline, or else you get a five-year/100,000km plan.

But while the rest of the car will be covered by that decade-long warranty if you service it with Mitsubishi, the battery is only covered for eight years/160,000km, no matter where you have the car serviced.

Maintenance is due every 12 months/15,000km. But just a note - the more complex powertrain means higher service costs than the regular turbo-petrol versions. The annual fees are: $299, $399, $299, $399, $299, $799, $299, $799, $399, $799; so an average cost of $339 for the first five years, or $558.90 per visit over 10 years/150,000kn. 

Included for customers who service their car with the brand is four years of roadside assist.

Do you have questions over reliability, issues, concerns, recalls, automatic transmission problems, or anything else of that ilk? Check out our Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross problems page.

The 7X Performance is covered by Zeekr’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, with eight-year/160,000km cover for the drive battery, neither of which are exceptional for the category. But there’s also five-year corrosion and paintwork warranty cover, with roadside assist included for the same period.

Recommended maintenance interval is two years/40,000km with optional health checks in between. Stick to the basic schedule and you’re looking at $1755 over the first five years.

Go for the complimentary first year service plus two other optional health checks and the figure is $2385, or an average of $477 per workshop visit over the same five years. Far from over the top for an EV in this part of the market.

The Zeekr dealer footprint currently takes in multiple sites in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney with additional locations in Canberra and Perth as well as The Sunshine Coast and Geelong, for a total of 14.

Some are currently ‘pop-ups’ with the intention to transition them to permanent status, with all dealers able to facilitate servicing (on site or at a separate location).