2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse Preview

As it stands, you'll need to move up to the GT even if you want the upgraded premium sport fabric interior, not to mention the

Attractive styling should allow the Eclipse to achieve a reasonably strong level of sales success. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

heated leather seating surfaces and auto climate control. GT customers can also get heated sideview mirrors, aluminum foot pedals and the 18-inch alloy wheel and tire package I mentioned previously, on top of all the standard and optional features available to GS buyers.

Finally, the new Eclipse looks fantastic. It reminds me of the second generation car, especially from its rear three-quarter view, which is the most iconic of all Eclipses, and in my opinion the most attractive up until this newest version. Attractive styling, being the most important attribute a car in the personal coupe segment can have, should allow the Eclipse to achieve a reasonably strong level of sales success.

But this brings up another point. At first it seems odd that a company that is literally fighting for survival would come to

The new Eclipse could ride a wave of personal coupe enthusiasm generated as an after effect of the new Mustang. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

market with a new niche player, and deem it critical, but such is the luck of product replacement planning. The car needed to be updated, and the time to do so was slotted in long before its current financial crisis was foreseen.

It is entirely possible, however, from a speculative perspective only, that the new Eclipse could ride a wave of personal coupe enthusiasm generated as an after effect of the new Mustang. With few alternatives in the two-door field to choose from, such an occurrence could mark a homerun for Mitsubishi, a scenario that its executives, no doubt, are praying for.