How the Mitsubishi eK X brought SUV looks to the kei class

The Mitsubishi eK X, sold in Japan as the eK Cross, is a kei tall wagon with an SUV character from Mitsubishi Motors. It went on sale on 28 March 2019 alongside the fourth-generation eK Wagon, and it took the place of the sportier eK Custom. NMKV, the Mitsubishi and Nissan joint venture, managed development, and Nissan led the product planning.

The engine, transmission and platform were all newly developed. The model combined Mitsubishi's kei-car know-how with Nissan's advanced technology, under the Nissan Intelligent Mobility banner.

Where did the eK Cross come from?

The eK Cross launched together with the fourth-generation eK Wagon and replaced the eK Custom, the sporty version of the previous eK Wagon. Its brief was a kei car built around the SUV elements in which Mitsubishi Motors is strong. The model was developed by NMKV, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan Motor, which managed the project.

The production process was different from the previous generation. The earlier car had been developed under Mitsubishi's lead, but this time Nissan Motor led product planning and vehicle development. Mitsubishi Motors still builds the car, as it did with the eK Wagon before it.

The Nissan Days is the eK Wagon's sister car and is sold by Nissan Motor. The eK Cross, by contrast, is an exclusive Mitsubishi Motors model. The Days Highway Star equivalent, the Aero grade, was not offered on the fourth-generation eK, and even the dealer options for the eK Wagon included no aero parts.

The idea of a crossover kei wagon was not new for the brand. The first-generation eK Active had been a crossover-oriented eK Wagon, so the eK Cross brings that approach back after two generations.

THE CUTE BEAST: an SUV-styled kei wagon that brought crossover looks to the kei class.

How did the designers style the eK Cross?

The design concept was THE CUTE BEAST, built on the eK Wagon to express a striking SUV taste. Dynamic Shield, Mitsubishi's front design concept, sits at the front, and the LED lamps use a vertical three-lamp layout with low beams in the upper two tiers.

From the side, the silhouette comes from a wheelbase 65 mm (2.6 in) longer than that of the earlier eK Wagon and eK Custom, and sculpted character lines add to the strong look. Compared with the eK Wagon, the side sill garnish and wheel arches were finished in black, and a roof rail could be added as a manufacturer option to stress the SUV look.

Exclusive to this model are the roof spoiler and the silver tailgate garnish. The G and T grades add silver to the rear bumper as well. LED side turn lamps in the door mirrors, front fog lamps (except on the M grade) and 15-inch tyres with aluminium wheels (again except on M) were all equipment the eK Wagon did not offer.

Inside, the colour scheme is black with blue accents. The seat cloth has a bumpy texture with an embossed honeycomb pattern. A premium interior package is a manufacturer option except on M, pairing striped cloth with tan synthetic leather.

How much room does the eK Cross give passengers?

The longer wheelbase, 65 mm (2.6 in) more than the previous eK Wagon and eK Custom, adds 70 mm (2.8 in) of rear knee room. The rear footwell is flat, with no protrusions, so getting in and out is easier and luggage can be placed stably on the floor.

The rear seat can be slid from the tailgate side. The driver's seat has an optimised backrest angle and a spinal support that actively supports the chest and pelvis, so the seat is meant to cause less fatigue on long drives.

What engine and transmission does the eK Cross use?

The engine is the new BR06, a scaled-down version of the BR08 that Renault developed for small A-segment cars aimed at emerging markets. It replaces the 3B20 engine, offers less friction and a higher compression ratio, and pairs with a new wide-ratio CVT.

Every model uses a mild hybrid system, in which a motor assists the engine. Under acceleration the motor draws on power stored in a dedicated lithium-ion battery. During deceleration, the energy from regenerative braking is charged efficiently back into that battery. Auto stop and go, with a coast stop function, shuts the engine off when the speed falls below about 13 km/h.

On the naturally aspirated engine, maximum output rises by 2 kW (3 PS; 3 hp) and maximum torque by 1 to 4 Nm (0.1 to 0.4 kgf-m) over the earlier eK Wagon and eK Custom. The turbocharged engine gains 2.0 Nm (0.2 kgf-m) of torque. Both engines are paired with the SM21 motor, rated at 2.0 kW (2.7 PS; 2.7 hp) and 40 Nm (30 lb ft; 4.1 kgf-m), a combination aimed at better acceleration, fuel economy and quietness.

How does the eK Cross drive through difficult surfaces?

The platform is new as well. The rear suspension of the 2WD cars is a torsion beam design. Drive types are 2WD on every car, and 4WD with a viscous coupling system (VCU) on the others. Grip control, which helps the car start and accelerate on slippery surfaces, is standard on every model.

When one drive wheel spins on snow or mud, the system applies brake control to the slipping wheel and sends more drive force to the wheel that still has grip. The function is meant to improve how the car copes with poor ground.

Key specifications of the eK Cross

What safety equipment comes as standard?

The e-Assist preventive safety package is fitted to every car. It includes FCM collision damage mitigation, pedal misapplication collision prevention assist, LDW, AHB and the new LDP lane departure prevention support. SRS side and curtain airbags come as standard too, and force-limiter seatbelts are used in both the front and rear seats.

Lane departure prevention is the newest element. When the car is about to leave its lane, it briefly applies a control force that steers it back inside the markings, and the force-limiter belts ease the load on the chest when a set level of force is applied.

How does MI-PILOT work on the eK Cross?

MI-PILOT is Mitsubishi Motors' first same-lane driving assistance system for expressways. It combines adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist, which helps keep the car in the middle of the lane. Assistance covers the accelerator, brake and steering, and it is a manufacturer option except on M.

MI-PILOT sits in the Advanced Comfort Package, which also includes an electric parking brake and steering switches. Its goal is to reduce the stress and fatigue of long drives for the driver.

What does the monitoring equipment add?

The multi-around monitor, carried over from the previous eK Wagon and eK Custom, gained a moving object detection function. It spots pedestrians and cyclists around the car and warns the driver through the screen and a sound. A digital room mirror showing a rear camera was a first for the kei class.

Both features are manufacturer options in the Advanced Safety Package, except on M.

What is the eK X EV?

The eK Cross EV is a battery-electric version of the eK Cross. It is based on the K-EV concept X Style, a concept car first shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 on 14 January 2022. The Nissan Sakura shares its platform with it, and only two-wheel-drive versions exist.

The EV is the first electric kei passenger car from Mitsubishi in roughly four years. The i-MiEV had been moved into the regular small-car class in April 2018. The EV was announced on 20 May 2022, with sales due to start on 16 June 2022.

How big is the EV battery and how far does it go?

The drive battery grew from the i-MiEV's 16 kWh to 20 kWh. Normal charging runs at AC 200 V and 14.5 A, and the car also has a rapid charging port. A cooling system uses an air-conditioning refrigerant to control battery temperature, so high charge levels stay possible even when fast driving and rapid charging are repeated.

Maximum torque is 195 Nm (144 lb ft), about twice that of the turbocharged eK Cross and about 1.2 times that of the i-MiEV. The range on one charge is quoted at 180 km under WLTC mode.

Which drive modes does the EV offer?

The EV has three drive modes. NORMAL suits city driving, ECO reduces motor output to save power, and SPORT allows more active acceleration and deceleration depending on how far the accelerator is pressed. A switch also engages an innovative pedal operation mode, which allows acceleration and braking with the accelerator pedal alone, without moving the foot to the brake.

How is the EV styled apart from the petrol car?

The EV's exterior changes are kept to the minimum. Its sister car, the Sakura, has a dedicated body, but the eK Cross EV keeps the Dynamic Shield front face, with a dark chrome grille, LED fog lamps and a ducted EV emblem on the front fender.

Because the battery is slim and sits under the floor, interior room and luggage capacity match the petrol car. From the luggage area, one action folds the split rear seatback, and the charging cable stores in the luggage under-box.

What parking and connected features does the EV have?

The EV adds MI-PILOT PARKING, the first parking assist function on a Mitsubishi car, as a manufacturer option on the P grade. Four cameras detect a possible parking space automatically, and 12 sensors pick up obstacles around the car, so it can handle parallel, forward and reverse parking.

The car supports the MITSUBISHI CONNECT service, depending on grade. It provides an SOS call for emergencies such as sudden illness. From a smartphone with a dedicated app, the owner can check the car's status, find where it is parked, start charging and switch on the air conditioning. The MiEV POWER-BOX, which takes 100 V power out of the car, is not supported.

Which awards did the eK Cross and EV win?

The eK Cross won the 2020 RJC Car of the Year with the eK Wagon and Nissan Days. The eK X EV, with the Nissan Sakura, then took the 2022-2023 Japan Car of the Year.

The RJC win was Mitsubishi's second in a row after the Eclipse Cross, and its third overall, counting the i of 2007. The same group also won the Small Mobility award in the 2019-2020 Japan Car of the Year.

The EV was the first kei car to take the main Japan Car of the Year award, and the first electric car to win since the Nissan Leaf of 2011. It also won the 2023 RJC Car of the Year, and its electrification technology won the 2023 RJC Technology of the Year.

What were the main milestones in the eK Cross timeline?

The launch in March 2019 was followed by awards, a 2020 safety update, the EV in 2022, grade changes in 2022 and 2023, and a renewed EV front in June 2026. Most later updates adjusted safety equipment, colours and connected features.

• 14 March 2019: offline process at the Mizushima Works and the start of orders.
• 28 March 2019: launch, with the catchphrase "high-performance kei SUV".
• 20 August 2020: partial improvement with a millimetre-wave radar for FCM night detection and additional driver aids.
• 20 May 2022: the eK Cross EV is announced.
• 16 June 2022: the announced start of EV sales.
• 8 September 2022: G Premium and T Premium grades are added, with improved fuel economy ratings.
• 24 November 2023: rear camera and rear-view monitor room mirror become standard on G and T, and the M grade is discontinued.
• 17 May 2024: EV update, with remote door lock and unlock on MITSUBISHI CONNECT.
• 24 July 2025: FCM warning lamp changes to comply with regulations.
• 18 June 2026: the EV front is renewed, with LED illumination on the grille and an optional accessory power outlet.