Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback Costs $8,000 More Than Nissan Leaf On Shared EV Hardware

Mitsubishi says the 2027 Eclipse Sportback goes on sale this month, and it has set its starting MSRP at $37,745. That's roughly $8,000 above the redesigned Nissan Leaf, a crossover-shaped EV built on much of the same underlying hardware.

Mitsubishi sells the Eclipse Sportback in a single, loaded trim. Nissan splits the Leaf into three. The gap between the cheapest Leaf and the Mitsubishi tells only part of the story.

2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback

Photo by: Mitsubishi

The 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback starts at $37,745 before destination, according to Mitsubishi Motors North America. Add the reported $1,995 destination charge and the out-the-door figure climbs to $39,740.

Nissan's cheapest redesigned Leaf, the S+, starts at $29,990. The mid-grade SV+ runs $34,230, and the loaded Platinum+ tops out at $38,990, still a few hundred dollars under the Mitsubishi's sticker.

Mitsubishi's one-trim approach includes a $2,600 Technology Package as the only factory option. It bundles a 10-speaker Bose stereo, a hands-free power liftgate, roof rails, and a two-section electrochromic panoramic sunroof. Order it and the Eclipse Sportback edges past $42,000 before incentives.

Both EVs run a 75-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, so the price gap isn't about pack size. It comes down to how each company chose to spec and trim its one shared piece of hardware for the US market.

2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback Charging

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Range is where the Eclipse Sportback actually loses ground, not just on price. Mitsubishi rates it at up to 282 miles, while the base Leaf S+ carries an EPA estimate of up to 303 miles, a 21-mile edge for the cheaper car.

The Leaf SV+ sits between them at an EPA-estimated 288 miles, and it carries a lower price than the Mitsubishi. Step up to the Platinum+, and the Leaf's range drops to 259 miles, undercutting the Mitsubishi by 23 miles despite costing roughly the same.

Range varies noticeably across the Leaf lineup depending on wheel size and equipment. The Eclipse Sportback's single trim level avoids that variation, with one hardware package and one quoted range figure.

What do you think?

Charging numbers favor Mitsubishi on paper. The Eclipse Sportback accepts up to 150 kilowatts of DC fast charging and claims a 10-percent to 80-percent top-up in around 35 minutes, using a NACS port for compatibility with Tesla's Supercharger network without an adapter.

Mitsubishi says the Eclipse Sportback's shared underpinnings with Nissan serve as a shortcut to market, part of a plan the automaker has described that calls for at least one new or refreshed model every year through fiscal 2030. Whether that one-trim strategy holds once Nissan's own trim ladder keeps undercutting it on price and range is the open question heading into the Eclipse Sportback's October launch.