New 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback Is Basically Just A Nissan Leaf On Aero-Optimized Tri-Spokes

Mitsubishi's current lineup is far less of a joke than those fishing for cheap upvotes would want you to believe, but the Japanese automaker was strapped for cash before electric vehicles went mainstream, and it doesn't sound like its parent company wants to burn cash developing a full lineup of vehicles specifically for the U.S. But sometimes, if you trade your plug-in-hybrid crossover to Nissan, you get a Leaf to rebadge in return. Meet the 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback.

Technically, we don't know that Nissan handed over the Leaf in exchange for the Outlander PHEV, but why let the facts get in the way of a good story. Nissan gets an affordable-ish plug-in hybrid crossover, Mitsubishi gets an affordable-ish long-range EV, and everybody wins. Except for the unfortunate salespeople who could soon find themselves stuck explaining the difference between the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi Leaf Eclipse Sportback to potential customers who may never understand.

Since the new Eclipse Sportback is essentially a rebadged Leaf riding on a set of sweet aero-optimized tri-spokes, you can find all the details on the new Leaf here. Highlights include a 75 kWh battery that offers 303 miles. Upgrade to the loaded version with the big wheels, though, and you're only looking at 259 miles from a Leaf. No matter which version you pick, a single motor drives the front wheels, cranking out 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque. And when our friends over at Car and Driver took their to the test track, the 2026 Leaf needed 6.9 seconds to hit 60 mph, on its way to a 15.4-second quarter-mile at 93 mph. 

The Leaf also offers both a J1772 charge port on the driver's side, as well an NACS port on the passenger side, offering owners the option to charge with either. On the rare occasion you can't charge at home like normal, the occasional stop at a public charger will let you charge at a rate of 150 kW. Nissan claims that's enough to go from 10% to 80% in about 35 minutes. 

Wait, why are we talking so much about the Nissan Leaf and spending so little time on the Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback? Sure, it looks pretty Leaf-like, but surely Mitsubishi made plenty of changes that would be worth talking about, right? Sure, if you insist. The entire release itself was only nine sentences long, with the final line promising that "[m]ore information about the Eclipse Sportback EV, including technical details, pricing and on-sale date, will be released in the near future.] It didn't even include any specs.

At least Mitsubishi didn't shy away from the Eclipse Sportback's Nissan roots. The second sentence clearly states that it's "[b]ased on the highly touted new-generation Nissan LEAF" and promises the Eclipse Sportback got "cosmetic changes that differentiate the two vehicles and make this model uniquely Mitsubishi." So which changes make the Mitsubishi Leaf different than the Nissan Leaf? According to the release:

The sporty electric subcompact SUV will feature unique front and rear fascias that echo other vehicles in Mitsubishi Motors' global lineup, distinct front and rear lights and lighting signatures, striking and sporty alloy wheels and, of course, the brand's iconic Triple Diamond branding.

Mitsubishi Motors

Okay, so basically, the changes you see in the photos are the only changes Mitsubishi made when it turned the Leaf into the Eclipse Sportback. At least to the outside. If you notice, Mitsubishi hasn't released any interior shots, either. Considering we already know it's a Leaf, trickling out details like this is more annoying than anything else, but I guess it will have worked if we end up covering the next two or three reveal announcements instead of waiting for Mitsubishi to fully reveal everything. 

For all we know, Mitsubishi could offer a smaller battery option that undercuts the Leaf's already low $29,990 MSRP by a few thousand. Or maybe it has some fun tricks up its sleeve for the interior. Without more information, it's just a guessing game at this point. But regardless of your opinion on the name, a potentially less-expensive Leaf can't be a bad thing.