- Mitsubishi announced today that it will launch an EV based on the 2026 Nissan Leaf, with sales starting in the second half of 2026.
- The next-generation Nissan Leaf also arrives next year and will transform from a hatchback into a small SUV.
- Nissan has said the new Leaf will be capable of over 300 miles of range, but it will not be offered with all-wheel drive.
Mitsubishi broke into the EV game early when it launched the iMiEV hatchback in 2012. Unfortunately, the iMiEV was little more than a glorified golf cart, with a range of 62 miles, a top speed of 80 mph, and a zero-to-60-mph time of 13.0 seconds. Now Mitsubishi is planning to launch a new electric model that promises far more capability. The Japanese automaker announced today that a new EV for the North American market will arrive next year and will be based on the Nissan Leaf.While the current Nissan Leaf is outdated and pairs its awkward styling with a meager range of between 149 and 212 miles, the automaker has revealed plans for an all-new Leaf for the 2026 model year. This new Leaf will morph from a hatchback into a subcompact SUV roughly the size of the gas-powered Kicks, and Nissan claims the Leaf will offer over 300 miles of range, although this will likely require upgrading to a larger battery pack. Nissan has also said the Leaf will not be available with all-wheel drive, and we expect it to feature a single-motor, front-wheel-drive setup.NissanThe new Nissan Leaf arrives in 2026.The Mitsubishi will presumably share powertrain options with the Leaf, so it should be capable of similar performance and will likely also take on the form of a compact crossover. Nissan has also said the 2026 Leaf will arrive with a NACS charging port, making it compatible with Tesla’s Supercharger network, and the same should be true of Mitsubishi’s EV. Mitsubishi didn’t provide any further details on the new EV but said it will go on sale in North America in the second half of 2026. It’s unclear what Mitsubishi plans to call the new EV, but the company did register trademarks in the United States for several names from its past in recent years, including Lancer, Lancer Evolution, Colt, Galant, and Montero. We think the Lancer or Colt names are most likely to adorn the subcompact SUV.The model will emerge as part of Mitsubishi’s partnership with Nissan, and the collaboration will also see Mitsubishi provide its plug-in hybrid technology—which it has honed with the Outlander PHEV—to Nissan for a new model in 2026. Nissan has said this plug-in hybrid will form part of a refresh for its popular Rogue compact SUV, which already shares its bones with the Outlander.More on MitsubishiCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: caranddriver.com
