Mitsubishi has confirmed its first electric vehicle in Canada since the i-MiEV, the 2027 Eclipse Sportback subcompact crossover.
It’s easy to forget that Mitsubishi played a pioneering role as one of the first manufacturers to market an electric vehicle in Canada. Unfortunately, there was no follow-up to the i-MiEV, and indeed, the triple-diamond brand has not offered an all-electric vehicle since the demise of that subcompact city car at the end of 2017.
The fruit of Mitsubishi’s alliance with Nissan
If you think the new 2027 Eclipse Sportback bears a resemblance to the current Nissan LEAF, that is no coincidence. The upcoming subcompact SUV from Mitsubishi stems directly from Nissan's electric model. Which is not that shocking given the existing alliance between the automakers, a partnership that should give rise to more shared platforms, powertrains and technologies in the coming years.
The images do show that the front and rear sections have been partially redesigned compared to the LEAF so that the Eclipse Sportback can develop its own personality.
For the time being, no technical details regarding the new 2027 Eclipse Sportback have been revealed. Its driving range, output, range and price points, for example, are all still to confirmed.
Mitsubishi plans to grow its lineup by one other model in the short term. While it hasn’t identified the form of that new model, we also know that a more adventurous variant of the Outlander is part of the manufacturer's plans in the coming months.
Eclipse Sportback: An evocative name at Mitsubishi
The Eclipse name is highly evocative within the Mitsubishi universe. The automaker began using it as early as 1990, well before the manufacturer's arrival on Canadian soil. The Eclipse model, recall, left the market in 2012. The name was subsequently brought back in 2018 with the introduction of the Eclipse Cross compact SUV.
The Sportback designation doesn’t have the same pedigree, except that it did serve to identify the hatchback model of the defunct Lancer. The Lancer compact sedan was axed by Mitsubishi at the end of the 2017 model-year.
