Compare the2025 Kia SeltosVS 2025 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Seltos achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has not been tested.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Seltos’ standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Seltos and Eclipse Cross have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Eclipse Cross’ Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The Seltos’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Seltos and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Seltos	Eclipse Cross
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	129	248
Neck Injury Risk	24%	38.7%
Neck Stress	237 lbs.	424 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	33 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	127 lbs.	182 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	144/44 lbs.	331/198 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Seltos is much safer than the Eclipse Cross:

	Seltos	Eclipse Cross
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Chest Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Seltos	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	145
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	225	358
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	433 lbs.	622 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Seltos is 1.6% to 3.4% less likely to roll over than the Eclipse Cross.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Seltos’ warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Seltos second among small suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Eclipse Cross isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 16th.

Engine

The Seltos X-Line/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 43 more horsepower (195 vs. 152) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 184) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Seltos is faster than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Seltos 4 cyl.	Seltos X-Line/SX	Eclipse Cross
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.9 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	15.4 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.5 MPH	91.2 MPH	78.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos gets better mileage than the Eclipse Cross:

			MPG
Seltos
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
Eclipse Cross
	AWD	ES 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/26 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Seltos 2.0’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Seltos higher (6 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (4). This means the Seltos produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Seltos AWD’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Eclipse Cross:

	Seltos AWD	Eclipse Cross
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.6 inches

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Seltos	Eclipse Cross
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	134 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Seltos AWD X-Line/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Eclipse Cross (235/45R18 vs. 225/55R18).

The Seltos’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires. The Seltos AWD X-Line/SX’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Seltos has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Eclipse Cross ES.

Suspension and Handling

The Seltos has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Eclipse Cross’ suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Seltos has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Seltos is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Eclipse Cross.

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 450 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

The Seltos is 6.4 inches shorter than the Eclipse Cross, making the Seltos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Seltos has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Eclipse Cross (99 vs. 96.7).

The Seltos has .5 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear hip room than the Eclipse Cross.

Cargo Capacity

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 23.4 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 50.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Seltos and the Eclipse Cross have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Seltos is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Eclipse Cross prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Seltos’ power locks have a lockout prevention feature. When the driver’s door is open, it won’t lock, so you can’t possibly lock your keys in the vehicle. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t provide lockout prevention.

The Eclipse Cross’ standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Seltos’ standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Seltos has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Seltos’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Eclipse Cross’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Seltos has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Seltos SX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Both the Seltos and the Eclipse Cross offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Seltos has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Seltos EX/SX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Seltos is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Seltos, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross isn't recommended.

The Kia Seltos outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by almost five to one during 2024.

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