Mitsubishi has big plans for the total solar eclipse, and with good reason

By Stephen Edelstein Published December 12, 2017

When your new SUV is named Eclipse Cross, you have to do something for the total solar eclipse.

So Mitsubishi is making plans to live-stream the eclipse from a prime viewing spot, and its new Eclipse Cross will be on hand, of course. The total solar eclipse will be the first to be seen from coast to coast in 99 years, but will only be visible in a narrow band of the country. If you’re not in that narrow band, and are willing to view the eclipse through a filter of marketing, Mitsubishi’s live-stream might be an option worth checking out.

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The automaker secured a spot in Salem, Oregon, within the “Path of Totality,” the band of sky where the eclipse is expected to be visible. Mitsubishi will have three cameras on hand to capture the eclipse for the live-stream. It will also photograph the Eclipse Cross with the eclipse in the background, which should just about peg the pun meter. Mitsubishi’s live-stream begins at 9 a.m. Pacific on August 21, and can be viewed on the automaker’s Eclipse Cross webpage. The social media hashtag is #totaleclipsecross.

While Mitsubishi is using the natural phenomenon to promote it, the Eclipse Cross is named after a different kind of eclipse. The name is actually a reference to the old Mitsubishi Eclipse, a sporty car built from 1989 to 2011 that became a staple of the 1990s and early 2000s tuner culture, including some prominent appearances in the Fast and Furious franchise.

The Eclipse Cross shares nothing but a name with the Eclipse, which was sold as a coupe and convertible over its lifespan. Instead of emphasizing performance, Mitsubishi is trying to cash in on the booming SUV craze. It’s admittedly a smart move for an automaker that seems to have lost its way lately. Unveiled earlier this year at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, the Eclipse Cross won’t hit U.S. showrooms for a few more months at least.

Mitsubishi isn’t the only automaker with eclipse-related plans. Volvo will dispatch a fleet of its XC60 SUVs to record the eclipse in a number of formats. The Swedish automaker plans to capture photos, 360-degree videos, and even a virtual-reality element.

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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