The first of several planned new Mitsubishi electric vehicles will be a small electric SUV, reports Automotive News.
This new model will arrive in the U.S. in the second half of 2026, according to the report, which cites comments from Mitsubishi executives to dealers at the 2025 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) show in New Orleans as well as an anonymous source with knowledge of the matter.
2025 Mitsubishi lineup
That source told Automotive News that the EV is expected to be a “small crossover coupe-styled vehicle similar to the planned Nissan Leaf replacement.” A new model with more crossover-like styling has long been rumored as a replacement for the aged Leaf hatchback.
Nissan owns 34% of Mitsubishi. The current Mitsubishi Outlander shares its platform with the Nissan Rogue, and the Outlander is available as a plug-in hybrid. But Nissan is potentially now in the process of merging with Honda, and while initial reporting indicated Mitsubishi would join in, subsequent reports claimed the automaker might keep its distance.
Teaser for future Mitsubishi U.S. lineup
If this report proves accurate, the small crossover will be the first all-electric Mitsubishi sold in the U.S. since the retirement of the i-MiEV after the 2017 model year. And it could be the first of several new EVs, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids introduced by Mitsubishi over the next few years—assuming the automaker’s current product plans remain in place.
In May 2024, Mitsubishi unveiled its “Momentum 2030” plan, calling for a one new or refreshed model to be introduced each year between 2026 and the end of the decade, powered by a mix of “advanced-technology internal-combustion engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electrics.” An accompanying teaser image showed seven vehicles, marking a significant expansion of the lineup. Mitsubishi also teased an electric pickup truck in 2023, but it’s unclear if that model is part of the U.S. product plan.
