Rent Mitsubishi Eclipse 2020 in Dubai

For a small crossover that costs little to run but still gives you a raised seating position and all-wheel grip, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 2020 is one of the cheaper sensible SUVs we rent in Dubai, and we'll hand it over from age 18 when most of the market makes you wait until 21. It seats five, comes in blue, and runs a small turbo petrol that sips fuel on a week of city driving. Our take: this is the budget pick for a couple or a small family who want SUV practicality without an SUV fuel bill. It isn't quick and it isn't plush, and we'll be straight about both below.

Running costs, the reason to pick it

The Eclipse Cross runs a 1.5-litre turbo petrol making 150 hp through a smooth automatic. That small engine is the point. On a week of errands, school runs and the odd airport trip, you'll see real-world consumption in the high 8s per 100 km, and the roughly 63-litre tank stretches across several days of normal driving before you think about a station. A couple of runs to DXB or DWC won't have you refuelling mid-trip.

It's not a fast car. The turbo gives it enough mid-range to merge onto Sheikh Zayed Road and hold the flow, but loaded with people and bags it works for a brisk overtake rather than shrugging it off. For city pace and steady highway cruising it's perfectly happy. Push it hard above 120 and you'll notice the modest power. Match the car to the job and it does exactly what a budget crossover should.

Spec at a glance

Cooling it down in the heat

Every Dubai rental lives or dies on this in summer, and the Eclipse Cross does fine. The cabin is small enough that there isn't much air to chill, so once the AC is running it pulls a parked car down to comfortable quickly. The front vents hit hard and the system holds the temperature on a long drive. There are rear outlets too, which matter if you're carrying kids in the back through July and August. Park in shade where you can, give it a minute on full before you load up, and it settles fast even after a day baking at 45 degrees.

Space, parking and the bumps

The boot is honest mid-size rather than cavernous. Behind the rear seats you'll fit a large case and a couple of soft bags for two people comfortably, and the rear seats fold and slide to free up more room when you need it. For a family of four packing for a week, you'll be folding one side or packing smart, but it swallows a normal shop and beach gear without drama.

At roughly 4.5 metres it's easy to place. Tight multi-storey bays, Marina ramps and mall parking levels are all straightforward, and the high seating position helps you judge the corners. Around 215 mm of ground clearance clears Dubai's speed bumps and the lips at mall entrances without you wincing. The all-wheel-drive system adds grip on a wet road or a hard-packed track, but treat it as all-weather security, not a dune tool.

The Dubai basics

A few things worth knowing before you set off. Salik tolls are charged to you, the renter, as you pass the gantries, and any RTA fines during the rental pass to you as well. Seat belts are required in every seat, and a child under four needs a proper child seat, which we can fit before delivery if you ask.

Who should rent it, and who shouldn't

Rent the Eclipse Cross 2020 if you want cheap, sensible transport with a raised view and a small footprint, you're a couple or a small family doing mostly city and highway driving, and a low fuel bill matters more than badge or pace. It parks easily, sips fuel, and copes with the heat. For most budget renters here, it's an easy call.

Size up if you regularly carry four adults with full luggage or want real overtaking punch, because this is a small-engined crossover and it shows when fully loaded. For soft sand you want a proper 4x4. But for a normal Dubai week on a budget, the Eclipse Cross is well judged and inexpensive to keep moving.