2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV First Look: A Triple-Diamond Nissan
The Eclipse “revival” remains a letdown in the form of a rebadged Nissan Leaf.
Nissan and Mitsubishi have a close corporate relationship, one that has seen them borrow platforms from each other. The most recent Nissan Rogue and Mitsubishi Outlander compact SUVs share DNA (and the one-year-only Rogue PHEV was a rebadged Mitsu), and a new Montero is reportedly being developed on the Armada platform, although it has yet to be announced for the U.S. market.
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Now, the relationship has been extended to Nissan’s all-electric compact SUV with the all-new 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV. If Mitsubishi Eclipse fans were disappointed by the original Eclipse Cross reviving that historic badge, the Sportback EV is unlikely to win them over.
The 2027 Eclipse Sportback EV is essentially a Nissan Leaf with Mitsubishi styling cues and badging, although at least Mitsubishi is up front about it. That may be a letdown for Triple Diamond loyalists, but being based on the Leaf is not necessarily a bad thing in the EV space. The new Leaf offers more range, faster charging, and sharper styling than before. Mitsubishi’s changes do not seem to hurt any of that, and they do enough to give it a slightly different look. That said, the Outlander and Rogue do a better job of carving out separate identities.
If you cannot get past the fact that it is a Leaf underneath the sheetmetal, the same criticism aimed at the Rogue and Outlander applies here. The silhouettes are simply too similar, leaving buyers to wonder why they should choose one over the other. That will be especially true if the prices end up close.
Pricing is the one big unknown for the 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV. Among mechanically similar models from the two companies, Nissans have generally been cheaper, typically by $1,600 or less. In the compact SUV space, that isn’t much, and we would expect the gap between the Leaf and Eclipse Sportback EV to be even smaller. Of course, that’s presuming the Eclipse Cross EV matches the Leaf in offering two powertrains and similar equipment levels. Final specs, features, and other details are promised for the near future.
The 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV is scheduled to launch in 2026, likely between late summer and early fall.
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Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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