The Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV was teased and it looks pretty interesting, though we doubt it’s coming here.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse name has been through a lot. Back in the 1990s, this was a four cylinder sports coupe developed specifically for the North American market. The second generation arrived halfway through the same decade and got a shot of fame after its production run ended when it was featured as one of the ‘hero cars’ on the film 2 Fast 2 Furious. A third and fourth generation continued the legacy until 2012 when it was finally time to pull the plug. Then after a short hiatus, the ‘Eclipse’ name was brought back to sell crossovers. Now, they’re bringing it back to sell EVs in the form of the Eclipse Sportback EV.
The North American Blueprint: A Sleek Twin to the Next-Gen Nissan LEAF
The all-new Eclipse Sportback EV is built directly on the new-generation Nissan LEAF platform, utilizing the highly efficient CMF-EV architecture shared across the global Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. To set it apart from its Nissan sibling, Mitsubishi’s design studios have applied a comprehensive visual overhaul to give the crossover a distinct, rugged personality.
• Front Fascia Styling: Incorporates a chunkier, muscular bumper with vertically oriented silver accents that seamlessly adapt to the brand’s iconic Dynamic Shield global identity.
• Branding Cues: Distinctly positions the signature Triple Diamond branding right on the nose of the vehicle.
• Lighting Signatures: Features fully redesigned front headlamps and arrow-shaped rear LED elements pointing outward.
• Rear Architecture: Completely deletes the LEAF’s trunk-lid lighting setup, replacing it with bold “Mitsubishi” block lettering spelled out cleanly across the tailgate.
• Wheel Packages: Rides on sporty, aerodynamically optimized alloy wheels displaying a futuristic triangular design theme.
The model serves as a vital pillar in Mitsubishi’s sweeping Momentum 2030 business strategy. This plan treats electrification as a foundational requirement, committing the brand to debuting at least one new or heavily revised model every fiscal year through 2030.
Will the Eclipse Sportback EV Launch in Southeast Asia?
In a word: no. In two words, probably not. This is because Mitsubishi Motors’ long-term vision strategy is to focus on hybrid electric vehicles for our part of the world. So expect hybrid versions of the Xforce and Xpander to be sold here instead. For EVs, the Mitsubishi brand is focusing on very region-specific products such as this Eclipse Sportback EV in North America. There may be a Foxtron-derived EV for other right hand drive markets, so stay tuned for that. Plus, we also have the revival of the Pajero to look forward to, and that may be coming to Malaysia in the form of a PHEV.
