Let's cut to the chase: Sport coupes are about style and performance, not practicality. If you want practical, get something with four

The Eclipse is hardly short on style. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

doors and an economical drivetrain. On the other hand, if you want a car that reflects your personality, turns a few heads, and offers a sporty driving experience, consider the Mitsubishi Eclipse.

The current generation of Eclipse was introduced in 2006 and given a facelift in 2009, and you could reasonably argue that it sits in a niche of its own. Technically it's a mid-size coupe, which puts it in with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Ford Mustang, Nissan Altima Coupe and Honda Accord Coupe, among others. But those are apples and oranges. The Eclipse is ... a pomegranate.

Mitsubishi calls the Eclipse GS an "attainable exotic." Certainly its style is out there. With its mix of sharp creases and molten-metal curves, and details like blacked out fascias and clear taillight lenses, this is a car with plenty of visual personality. For 2011, the GS gets several key upgrades that bring it closer in character to the more

Front to back, the Eclipse is adrenaline inducing. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

expensive GT-P; these include ASC (active stability control), a dual exhaust system, and the blacked-out front and rear fascias. The overall effect seems to be somewhat polarizing — people tend to either love the Eclipse or loathe it. Personally I think it's a great looking car (especially in our test car's eye-popping "sunset pearlescent" colour), although it's much bigger on the outside than at first it appears, especially in terms of width.

Big, however, isn't something you can say about the interior — this little coupe certainly makes a style statement, but it comes at a steep price in terms of interior space. In theory the Eclipse is a four-seater, and there are indeed two seats in the back complete with seat belts, but they provide little more than a street-legal means to transport a couple of passengers for short distances in what would otherwise be

Soft-touch surfaces and a driver-focused cockpit make for an upscale ride. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

purely a luggage space. Fitting adults back there requires you to adjust the front seats well forward, and with the hatch glass directly overhead, headroom is tight. Even in the front seats, tall occupants will find headroom in short supply, and there's precious little space for the passenger's feet either — some toe room up behind the dashboard would be welcome.  What you do get inside the Eclipse GS is good-quality materials (including generous use of soft-touch plastics) a refined, uncluttered layout, cool blue instrument lighting and, if you opt for the $3,300 sun and sound package, an exceptional sounding 650-watt monster of a Rockford Fosgate stereo system. The sun and sound package also includes steering wheel audio controls, Sirius satellite radio (with six months complimentary service), central audio display (including exterior temperature, compass and clock), Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, a power glass sunroof, and a nifty rearview

Great sport seats look the part and deliver good support. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

mirror-mounted backup camera system. With the exception of an automatic transmission, the sun and sound package is the only option available on the GS and it really is a must-have, if only for the sunroof and the back-up camera (those tall rear flanks and tiny rear windows restrict rearward visibility to a considerable extent).
 
Mechanically, the Eclipse GS gets Mitsubishi's 2.4L inline 4-cylinder engine, producing 162 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Getting this power to the pavement is a standard 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed "Sportronic" sequential-shift automatic for $1,200 extra. (The Eclipse GT-P gets a 3.8L, 265-horsepower V6 and 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic). The 2.4L engine has good grunt down low, revs willingly, and has a satisfying if somewhat coarse exhaust growl. Our test car had the standard 5-speed transmission,

Rear seating is tight, but good enough for short distances or kids. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

which puts the engine's available power to good use and is a pleasure to notch through the gears, although the gas and brake pedals are spaced too far apart for easy heel-and-toe downshifts. On the highway the Eclipse GS lopes along happily, so gobbling up the miles should be no problem. Straight-line performance is decent but not stellar, with published 0-100 km/h times of about 9.5 seconds. Interestingly, the Eclipse GS actually feels quicker than it is, partly due to an abundance of torque steer when accelerating hard — you're kept so busy trying to steer a straight line while simultaneously shifting gears, you don't notice the passage of time. Speed freaks might argue that the GT-P's V6 gives the Eclipse power to match its styling, but it seems to me that until Mitsubishi sees fit to offer its proven all-wheel-drive on the GT-P, the GS's 2.4L engine better matches the capabilities of the front-wheel drive chassis.

The smaller engine has the added advantage of better fuel economy (10.6 / 7.3 L/100km city/hwy with the manual transmission versus 13.1 / 8.0 L/100km for the GT-P), and it keeps

Big Rockford Fosgate subwoofer cuts in on trunk space but puts out booming sound. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

123 kg (270 pounds) of extra weight off the front axle compared to the GT-P. This is an important consideration, because the 1,484-kg (3,272-lb) GS already has a heavily biased 60-40 front-rear weight distribution, and in the 1,607-kg (3,542-lb) GT-P it's 61-39.

In the corners, the Eclipse GS is quick and surefooted, benefiting from its low, wide stance, firm suspension and grippy P235/45R18 tires on 18-inch lipless alloy wheels. Turn-in is quick and precise, body lean is minimal, and lateral grip is impressive when driven smoothly in dry conditions. Pushed hard on wet roads the Eclipse exhibited predictable understeer at the limits, and thanks to the standard ASC this same docile nature should hold true on dry pavement. My one quibble is that I'd prefer a little more steering wheel feedback — in fast corners it felt a little light and numb. A bigger complaint relates to occasionally choppy ride and the Eclipse's unexpectedly large turning circle, which can be a hassle in tight spots.

Brakes on the

Backup camera helps mitigate thick C-pillars. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

Eclipse GS are big ventilated discs front up front and smaller solid discs in the back, with ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and they do their job effectively and without fuss. Backstopping for the excellent brakes is a full range of standard safety equipment including dual front airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags and height-adjustable front shoulder belts.

With two up, the Eclipse GS offers a reasonable blend of comfortable ride and sporty handling, with decent luggage space and, if you get the sun and sound package, pulse-quickening audio entertainment. The 2.4L engine in the GS may not quite live up to the Eclipse's loud styling statement, but it is easy to live with and should prove reliable in the long term thanks to Mitsubishi's industry-leading 10-year/160,000 km powertrain warranty. The remainder of the car offers solid build-quality and good materials and is backed with a 5-year/100,000km limited warranty.

At a suggested retail price of $24,498 plus $1,600 delivery and inspection ($29,398 as tested), the Eclipse delivers plenty of motoring style for the money, and a surprising dose of commuter practicality.

Interior

Exterior

Mechanical

Safety

Dimensions

Misc

(P3) GS Sun and Sound Package

(X1M) Premium Paint: Sunset Pearlescent

(X1P) Premium Paint: Rave Red

(U04) Premium Paint: Quick Silver