Yes, There’s A New Mitsubishi Eclipse, But It’s A Rebadged Nissan Leaf

Good news! The Mitsubishi Eclipse has returned. Bad news. It is just a rebadged Nissan Leaf. The Eclipse nameplate is more famously associated with a sporty coupe produced from 1989 to 2011, but it was attached to a crossover called the Eclipse Cross since 2017. Now, as the name gets attached to a Nissan Leaf-based EV, the Eclipse is now called the Eclipse Sportback.

And yes, this is literally just a rebadge of the Nissan Leaf that was reinvented into an electric crossover since last year. There are some alterations, though, to set the Eclipse Sportback apart from the Leaf. At the front, the Eclipse Sportback gets a chunkier front bumper, while the black trim piece in the Leaf that connects the two LED headlights has been removed. Another alteration comes from the wheel design and also the satin silver trim piece on top of the window line. Lastly, the rear end also gets new LED taillights, along with a slightly reworked rear bumper to match the front fascia.

The interior of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback has not yet been revealed, but like the exterior, we’re not expecting any huge alterations, either. In that case, we can expect a duo of 12.3-inch or 14.3-inch screens (depending on the variant), along with slight alterations to the trim and color choices. One of the standout features of the Leaf is its electrochromic panoramic glass roof, but we’re unsure if this will make it to the Eclipse Sportback.

Even the technical specs of the battery and electric motors have not been revealed. In the Leaf’s case, customers get a choice between a 52 kWh or 75 kWh lithium-ion battery. A single front-mounted electric motor powers both battery choices, making either 174 horsepower or 214 horsepower. With that said, expect a similar WLTP-rated range figure of 436 to 622 kilometers for the Eclipse Sportback.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback was shown in North American spec, hinting that it will be sold primarily in North America. Alongside the reveal, the company announced that the Outlander is getting a rugged off-road derivative in early 2027. As for more exciting development, Mitsubishi is promising to release a new or a comprehensively facelifted model every year through 2030.