Mitsubishi's New EV Looks Awfully Familiar 

The Breakdown

• Mitsubishi is launching an electric vehicle later this year.   
• It is called the Eclipse Sportback, and it’s based on the new Nissan Leaf.   
• The Eclipse Sportback features unique fascias and branding.   

Mitsubishi has a new vehicle in its lineup. It’s called the Eclipse Sportback, and, if you can't tell, it’s a compact electric vehicle based on the latest Nissan Leaf.   

The 2027 Eclipse Sportback features a unique front fascia with the Triple Diamond branding on the nose. The Mitsubishi has a similar lighting signature at the front, with a twist, which sits above a completely revamped bumper.   

At the back, the new Eclipse ditches the Leaf’s Ni-San taillights for a pair of opposing L-shaped markers, a motif taken from the front. There is bold Mitsubishi branding across the trunk, with a redesigned bumper.  

The C-pillar trim on the Eclipse is also different, and it appears the side skirts feature striations, ever so slightly differentiating it from the Nissan. It also wears sporty alloy wheels that are quite distinct.   
Mitsubishi provides no interior photos, but we suspect it looks a lot like the Leaf.   

The Eclipse Sportback will go on sale in the second half of this year. The automaker will announce its specs, pricing, and on-sale date "in the near future," but we doubt it will differ from the Nissan EV.   

Nissan offers the 2026 Leaf in three trims, starting with the entry-level Leaf S+ at $31,535 (price includes the $1,545 destination charge). It comes with a 75-kilowatt-hour battery paired with a 214-horsepower electric motor, which is the exact powertrain we expect Mitsubishi to use in the Eclipse Sportback.  

The Eclipse Sportback joins the Eclipse Cross in Mitsubishi's lineup. In Europe, the Eclipse Cross is a rebodied and rebadged Renault. 

5

Source: Mitsubishi

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Motor1’s Take: We don’t know how much Mitsubishi can truly differentiate its new EV from the Leaf to where its existence is justified. We doubt there will be any powertrain differences between the two and suspect the prices will be quite similar. It’s an odd move.  

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