Flash Drive: 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV

Return to an All-Electric World

It took Mitsubishi 10 years from when they last sold an all-electric car, the i-MiEV. They are back, and in a big way, with the 2027 Eclipse Sportback EV. There is no similarity between the two, so this is truly a blank slate for the brand.

Eclipse Sportback Snapshot

• Front-wheel drive
• Single electric motor
• 75 kWh lithium-ion nickel-manganese-cobalt battery with liquid cooling
• Horsepower: 214
• Torque: 261 ft.-lb.
• All-electric driving range: 282 miles

Charging

The 2027 Eclipse Sportback comes standard with a NACS (née: Tesla) charging port on the passenger-side front fender and a CCS charge port on the driver-side rear fender. This unique set-up offers flexibility and convenience depending on which type of charger is being used.

The thermal management system improves charging and performance by heating or cooling the battery to the optimal charging temperature. It can be trickle charged with a 120V common wall plug, but expect replenish times to be long and slow.

The best bet for owners will be to install a Level 2, 240V home charger that will take the battery from 20-to-80% in 6.5 hours and 10-to-100% in 11.5 hours. DC fast charging at a NACS Supercharger takes 35 minutes to go 10-to-80% or 85 miles in 10 minutes.

Silent and Smooth Cruising

Mitsubishi invited automotive journalists to the Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Washington, to be the first to drive the 2027 Eclipse Sportback EV. I spent a few hours driving the front-wheel drive 2027 Eclipse Sportback putting its 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque to the test. There was plenty of both to move the five-seat compact SUV silently and smoothly. The torque comes on instantly, at any speed, making for an enjoyable drive. If you have never driven an electric car, put it on your To-Do list.

Experimenting with the Eco, Normal, Personal and Sport drive modes, we found Eco is the best for maximizing the all-electric driving range when on the open road. Normal worked well for all-around and in-town driving with Sport providing more spirit by changing the throttle response and the steering sensitivity.

The Eclipse Sportback was nimble with no hint of body roll, tire slippage from the 18-inch Yokohama Avid GT 215/55 all-season tires, or any lack of control when pushing hard around tight or sweeping corners. The floor-mounted batteries dropped the center of gravity, making for sure-footed handling.

Using the Paddles

Two technologies that make driving the Eclipse Sportback EV more efficient and enjoyable are regenerative braking and near-one pedal driving, which Mitsubishi calls E-Step.

Regenerative braking, or more accurately motor regeneration, converts kinetic energy when slowing or stopping into electric energy and returns it to the battery. The Eclipse Sportback has steering wheel-mounted paddles to add or remove the regen level. If you want the system to do it without using the paddles, pressing the dash-mounted E-Step button will do the slowing and bring the car to almost a full stop with no paddle blipping necessary.

After mastering the very short learning curves, this is the easiest and most enjoyable way to drive an electric car.

Mitsubishi Design Flavor

The Eclipse Sportback, based on the Nissan Leaf, gave Mitsubishi’s design team the opportunity to create key differences in the two cars. Mitsubishi designers placed an emphasis for the Eclipse Sportback to emote a sportier look. The exterior has a redesigned front grille, front and rear bumpers, C-pillar styling and lighting signatures. The interior has different seating surfaces and textures.

The overall look has short front and rear overhangs with a laid-back windshield that gently slopes all the way to the diminutive rear hatch lip spoiler. The power flush door handles are part of the smooth sides.

The fully LED head and tail lights offer distinctive looks that Mitsubishi says “are the look of the future” for the brand. The tri-spoke 18-inch alloy aerodynamic wheel features the Triple Diamond design of the brand’s logo.

The Eclipse Sportback has five exterior colors, all carrying a celestial theme to go with the Eclipse name. The four with an additional fee are Astral White, Galaxy Black, Nebula Red and Midnight Blue. Storm Gray is available without a premium.

Interior

The Eclipse Sportback interior was a comfortable place for the front occupants to spend long time. While the rear passengers get a completely flat floor, the leg room was tight, but the shoulder and head room were passable. The perforated synthetic leather seats have a stamped diamond pattern. The fronts are power operated with multiple adjustments.

Behind the upright 60:40 rear seat there is 20.0 cubic feet of cargo space, growing to 55.5 cubic feet when folded flat. This is large enough to stow a bicycle with the front wheel attached.

The two-spoke, flat bottom steering wheel comes with standard heating and has the preferred physical (not haptic) touch buttons to operate the sound system, telephone and cruise control. The climate system is easy to understand and use, as are the mirror, seat and other controls that are not buried under several pages on the center screen.

There are dual 14.3-inch screens providing driving information and infotainment. The only options come in the Technology Package that includes a hands-free power lift gate and roof rails.

Two big upgrades in this package to the already well-equipped Eclipse Sportback, are the electrochromic e-dimming panoramic glass roof that goes from clear to opaque with the touch of a button and the Bose 10-speaker sound system. A neat feature of the roof is it can dim just the rear seats or the complete cabin space. Clean Fleet Report has driven several six-figure cars that don’t offer this, so bravo Mitsubishi!

The Eclipse Sportback does not have a front trunk/frunk.

Warranty

Mitsubishi offers one of the best warranties.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing will be released closer to the October 2026 on-sale date.

Observations: 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV

It is an expensive proposition developing an all-new car. Mitsubishi, as part of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi group, made the smart decision to call on its Nissan partner and use the reliable and proven Leaf as the base for the Eclipse Sportback. This gives consumers another choice when shopping for a compact EV.

Travis Wattles, director U.S product planning, told us: “We want to give options to consumers with our electrified line-up of SUVs. (Outlander mild-hybrid, Outlander plug-in hybrid and Eclipse Sportback EV). With gas prices going up and more people returning to offices, we saw there would be a demand out there for customers looking for an efficient commuter, like the Eclipse Sportback.”

If you are in the market for a compact SUV and are ready to make the electrification move, the all-electric 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback should be a consideration. It benefits from the Nissan Leaf’s track record as a reliable small car delivering an efficient smooth driving experience.

With innovative and convenient charge ports on either side of the car and possibly the best warranty in the market, the Eclipse Sportback will easily handle all your family in-town errands and make taking a longer road trip very doable, all while eliminating the need to ever stop at a gasoline station again.

Mitsubishi sees the Eclipse Sportback as an important part of its mix of SUVs and crossovers. Go into your local dealer and see for yourself.

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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Mitsubishi.