[Mitsubishi EK Cross Space 650km Test drive] Light super high that can compete directly with "N-BOX"

I had the opportunity to tour about 650km with Mitsubishi Motors' light super height wagon "eK Cross Space", so I will deliver my impressions.

In 2014, the eK Space, a super height wagon with a FWD (front-wheel drive) system, was added to Mitsubishi Motors' light car lineup. The eK Cross Space, an SUV-style decoration model that we test drove this time, is the second generation that debuted in 2020.

The major difference from the first generation is that the main body of development practice has changed from Mitsubishi to Nissan, and the platform is also that of the Renault-Nissan alliance. For Nissan, this is the second self-developed mini car following the previous year's Dayz/eK Wagon. Nissan has the idea that "a good foot does not matter tires or power", and there are only two types of suspension tunes: FWD or AWD (4-wheel drive). There is no difference between grades, and there is no difference between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. So, it can be said that this impression is almost the same for the Nissan version of Luke.

The grade of the road test vehicle is a turbo car "T" and the drive system is FWD. The test drive route started from Tokyo and traveled around Kujukuri in Chiba and Okunikko in Tochigi, with a total mileage of 655.4km. The road types are urban area 3, suburban road 3, highway 2, mountain road 2. Road conditions are mostly dry. 1-2 passengers, air conditioner AUTO.

First, let's list the advantages and disadvantages of the eK Cross Space.

■ Advantages 1. Compared to Days/eK Wagon, the dynamic texture as a car has improved significantly. 2. Very natural steering feeling. 3. Sturdy body and chassis that won't let you down even when the road surface is slightly uneven. 4. The interior texture is the best among light super height wagons. The exterior finish is beautiful. 5. Only the highest grade can now be equipped with active high beams.

■ Disadvantage 1. The price is high. 2. There are many package options and lack flexibility in equipment selection. 3. ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) is not standard and not available on some grades. 4. Overall good, but I wish the ride was smoother. 5. In addition to the roof rails, I want another SUV look.

Isn't it a pity that the design of "Luke's Highway Star" is different?

I tried to take a front view a little ahead of time. Well designed down to the last detail.

The Rooks/eK Space is Nissan's second self-developed minicar following the Days/eK Wagon released in 2019 the previous year. The impression I got from actually driving was that "I've become able to do a lot of things I want to do in a year from the first thing."

The Dayz had a tendency to be too stiff in the front suspension, probably because the desire to make it look like a normal car was ahead of its time, but the eK Cross Space began to roll smoothly with a good response, and the front wheels gripped the road well. Definitely better. The transmission of road surface information to the steering has become milder, and the drive feel has improved. The turbo engine has a softer combustion sound than the same type of naturally aspirated engine, which was also a factor that made the dynamic feel high.

Nissan/Mitsubishi's kei car was a budget route in the era led by Mitsubishi, but led by Nissan and advanced to a high-priced high-performance route dominated by Honda "N-BOX". The mini vehicle developed by Nissan is not based on a mini-exclusive platform, but is based on a compact car for emerging countries. While it is easy to achieve various performances and ride comfort, it is disadvantageous in terms of cost and weight reduction. The vehicle price is the highest among rivals when compared with the same equipment, but that is also unavoidable. Considering such characteristics, it is the most natural form to aim to be bought even if it is expensive with a light construction like a normal car.

However, making an extremely narrow tread kei car requires a high level of know-how, and using the components of a high-end model does not automatically produce a good kei car. In the case of the Days/eK Wagon, there were many excellent parts, but there were also many conceded points. For that reason, the eK Cross Space showed a very good feeling just one year later, and it was a good way to betray expectations. Although the specs around the suspension are different, the basic components are the same, so I thought it might be possible to improve the feel of the tall wagon Dayz / eK wagon with a running change.

Although the eK Cross Space had a great finish, it is true that I felt unsatisfactory in terms of the power that would increase the value of the Mitsubishi brand. At a glance, the face can be distinguished from the current Mitsubishi model, and it is also possible to add roof rails, which are not available on the Nissan Rooks. Hill descent control is also a unique feature of the eK Cross Space. However, it is a little sad that Mitsubishi Motors, whose SUV is the pillar of its brand power, calls itself a “cross” and the only difference is that.

Even if it is difficult to change the minimum ground clearance because it is costly, if the traction control can be switched according to the road surface condition and equipped with a glass top, etc. I could have been more free from the subordinate position of the design difference of Luke's Highway Star. It was a car that felt a little regrettable just because it had a good background.

Driving performance/comfort

I was wearing the 165/55R15 size Bridgestone “Ecopia EP150”. The combination of 55 tires on a light car is difficult to tune for ride comfort, but the eK Cross Space was brilliant.

Let's take a closer look. First of all, regarding the steering stability, the eK Cross Space was superior to the Dayz/eK Wagon in terms of stability, even though the center of gravity was higher. There are two points: the sinking of the front outer suspension when turning the steering wheel in a corner became gentle and smooth, and there was very little wobble when stepping on an uneven road surface during cornering and pushing up. matter. This dramatically improves the on-the-rail feeling and eliminates the tendency to under-under on bad roads and wet roads. It's not a car that runs like a sports car, but it can be said that the feeling of peace of mind even on mountain roads is a pleasing performance for the driver when the family goes out for a while.

The suspension is a front MacPherson strut, a rear torsion beam, and the stabilizer that suppresses roll is only the front suspension, so it doesn't have any special equipment. Even so, it seemed that the fact that it was able to achieve a very good touch in actual driving was largely due to the strength of the body. Although it is not possible to measure values ​​such as torsional rigidity, for example, when you step on a gap during cornering, the suspension that has contracted due to rolls will shrink even more smoothly. I could feel the quality of the work.

The model that has a similar quality is the Honda N-BOX, which is the top light super height wagon, but the eK Cross Space has a setting that contrasts well with that N-BOX. The N-BOX has a good straight line performance that even the company's mid-size sedan "Accord", which is four classes higher, can not be ignored, but the turning is not so agile. While the eK Cross Space has excellent turning performance, it felt that the straightness was lagging behind the N-BOX. Of course, considering the high price of the vehicle, it would be pointless to have low performance, but even so, a model that can compete directly with the N-BOX, which was thought to be a solitary mini super height wagon, has appeared. It can be said that it is good news for users in that they can expect friendly rivalry.

Ride comfort is generally good due to the synergistic effect of the strong body and flexible suspension. The tire is a low profile type of 165/55R15 that is difficult for light vehicles to wear, but it is worn as well as the N-BOX custom. However, the setting is a little firmer than the N-BOX. I felt that if I softened it a little more, the flatness would increase and it would be popular with the general public. However, if it is made softer than it is now, there is a possibility that the unique line trace feeling will fade due to the trade-off. As an individual, I had a favorable impression of the current damping-like ride quality of a sports sedan.

Power performance/fuel efficiency

The engine is a 0.66-liter turbo. Compared to the naturally aspirated engine, the engine noise was clearly softer and the power was richer.

The engine of the road test car is a 3-cylinder 0.66 liter turbo. Performance is a maximum output of 47 kW (64 ps) and a maximum torque of 100 Nm (10.2 kgm). The transmission is a belt-type CVT (continuously variable transmission). An electric motor with a maximum output of 2 kW (2.7 ps) and a maximum torque of 40 Nm (4.1 kgm) is set up to form a very small mild hybrid system.

Because the weight is the heaviest among the models of the same class, I thought it might be sluggish before driving, but when I actually drove it, the torque in the mid-speed range was moderately rich and the responsiveness of the CVT was good. It wasn't bad, and I didn't feel helpless. The acceleration time from 0-80km/h at a standing start without preliminary boost was 10 seconds 9 based on the actual speed. The naturally aspirated version of Dayz, which I tried long drive before, felt a little rough with noise and vibration, but this turbo engine felt very soft and not bad.

Fuel consumption is measured in two sections. 22.4km/liter (average fuel consumption measured 23.5km/liter) when driving 201.1km on a route with little difference in elevation with one person on a city road and half on suburban roads, mountain roads and highways around Oku-Nikko with two people 19.6 km / liter (21.0 km / liter) when running 326.4 km on the route including. I didn't expect good fuel economy due to the weight of the vehicle, but thanks to the mild hybrid system, it was surprisingly good. The WLTC values ​​are mediocre at 16.7km/liter in the city area, 20.0km/liter in the suburbs, 19.1km/liter on the highway, and 18.8km/liter in total, but I felt that the fuel consumption on the road was much better than the impression given by the figures.

Comfort/utility

Although the floor design is not so low, the rear seats are more than spacious enough.

The size of the living space is the biggest selling point of the light super height wagon, and there is no model that does not have this point. The interior dimensions are not very appealing, but the interior length of 2200mm is second only to the N-BOX, and if you slide the rear seats all the way back, you can secure a uselessly wide leg space.

The distinctive feature of the interior of the eK Cross Space is that the thickness of the cushions on the front and rear seats and on the back of the seat is generous, so vibrations from the suspension are mildly transmitted to the body. In the section on the chassis, I wrote that it was stiff, but the damping was effective and it felt good, but it seems that the seat also contributes to the improvement of the dynamic feel in no small way.

It was the seat arrangement that made a difference in the thickness of the cushion. It has a full range of functions such as full-flat, rear seat long slide to expand the luggage space, and it is convenient enough for normal use, but when the rear seat back is folded forward, the floor is flat, full-flat There was a feeling that it was inferior to rivals in the lack of unevenness when it was made. It's a product of a passenger-oriented concept that emphasizes the texture when running rather than the functionality of when stopped or carrying, so I didn't think it was a drawback in itself, but the strength of the outdoor color made Nissan It was also certain that I wanted one point that differentiated it from the version of Luke. The glove compartment is standard for a super height wagon.

Operability, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, etc.

Around the front dashboard. Along with the Nissan Rooks, the texture is the height of rivals.

Operability in the cockpit is good or bad depending on the function. The layout of each function key is basically the same as the Nissan Luke. The steering switch is easy to operate. There was a feeling that the layout of the keys, the clearance between each key, the ease of blind touch due to steps, and the allocation of functions, etc., were made with a lot of thought.

The only thing that often confused me was the hands-free phone. Calling and disconnecting switches are on the right hand side, and other operations are on the left side, but in recent years, perhaps because people have become accustomed to designing areas for each function, the limited travel distance of 650 km I was left with some discomfort until the end.

Continuing the old model, the air conditioner operation is an electrostatic panel method. The first generation was extremely difficult to use, and I felt that there was no advantage other than design and easy cleaning, but the current model has clear unevenness and vibrations when operated. So, compared to the first generation, it is a big evolution. However, in absolute terms, physical keyswitches still seemed easier to use.

The car navigation system was equipped with a 9-inch size, which was excellent. It is a high-performance model that works with drive recorders and all-around camera views, and it is basically very convenient to use, so I didn't feel dissatisfied with "this won't work". However, the price is also very high. Personally, I thought it would be enough to equip a 2DIN size display audio and use AppleCarPlay or AndroidAuto to display the smartphone navigation on the screen.

I was impressed by the careful modeling that made me wonder how hard it was to do so lightly. The lighting is headlamps under the bonnet and road lamps above the bumper.

Finally, driving support systems and headlamps. ADAS is a full-spec type with functions such as lane keeping with steering intervention and road deviation prevention, but the on-road operation was also very good. A Nissan engineer said, ``At the moment, the narrower the vehicle, the easier it is to keep the lane.'' rice field. However, considering that Honda is promoting the standard equipment of "Honda Sensing" with the same level of function, it is a bit backwards to have to equip it as an option even though the price is kept at just over 70,000 yen. is.

Along with ADAS, I was impressed by the high-performance headlamps, which must be set as an option. It is an active high beam that irradiates while avoiding preceding and oncoming vehicles, and the irradiation capacity itself was quite good. It would be quite convenient to have this in a long-distance drive night session. However, it is a pity that it cannot be attached alone and is an expensive set option.

Summary

I saw a coffee shop called “Ichigo no Sato Cafe” near the Kanaya Hotel in Nikko, so I took a detour.

The light super-height wagon has two aspects: one is the largest category in the Japanese automobile market, and the other is a small pie because it is limited to the domestic market. Excluding OEMs, there are four major players in the market: Suzuki, Daihatsu, Honda, and Nissan/Mitsubishi. There are differences among companies in terms of what is important, such as driving performance, comfort, convenient functions, and price, but basically they are all good. If you can come to terms with the budget and product quality, you can think that you can buy any manufacturer's product.

The same goes for the eK Cross Space. There are many package options, and the purchase price tends to be high, but the chassis performance is generous, and the maneuverability, ride comfort, and quietness are good. The texture of the interior and exterior is perfect. The outdoor taste does not reach the level that core fans expect from Mitsubishi cars, but they are trying hard to bring out their own colors, such as descending brakes, roof rails, and water-repellent interiors. At least, it seems that there are almost no elements that would cause dissatisfaction after purchase by users who liked it at first impression.

It is a recommended grade, but since the price is high anyway, I would like to have a "T" equipped with a turbo engine. It may depend on how you drive, but my test drive gave me the impression that the on-road fuel efficiency is not much different from that of a naturally aspirated car, and the margin when you want one-shot acceleration is incomparable to a naturally aspirated car.

Advanced safety and comfort package with ADAS, active high beam, all-round sensor that detects approaching people and other vehicles, etc., water-repellent interior, leather-wrapped steering wheel, driver's side electric slide If you choose a two-tone color with a rear seat package D that includes a set of doors, roof rails, display audio that can mirror the smartphone navigation system, the total will be about 2.55 million yen. It's absurdly expensive for a light car, but this is a specification that allows you to fully enjoy the eK Cross Space.

If anything is too expensive, if you have ADAS, you don't need active high beams, you don't need a water-repellent interior, and the electric sliding door is OK only on the passenger side. can be kept in a moderate range. Also, if you don't need these, the naturally aspirated grade "G" will also be an option.

The farthest destination of the drive is Nikko Yumoto. Snow-melting agents are sprinkled along the entire route from the foot of the mountain, so if the weather is good, it is possible to go even with summer tires.