Mitsubishi reveals plans to launch electric crossover in the USA

Mitsubishi will launch its first electric model in the USA in the second half of 2026. This will be an electric crossover SUV coupé, which will resemble the successor to the Nissan Leaf. However, Mitsubishi does not want to be as closely tied to Nissan in terms of the company structure as initially thought.

At a brand conference, Mitsubishi announced to its US dealers that it intends to deliver its first electric vehicle since the iMiEV in the USA in 2026. It is also said to have confirmed that the new, as yet unnamed model will be manufactured in Japan and then imported to the USA.

Even in front of their own dealers, Mitsubishi executives apparently did not provide any further details about the new electric car. However, Automotive News quotes an insider as saying that the model is likely to be a small crossover coupé-style vehicle, similar to the planned successor to the Nissan Leaf.

The Nissan model is expected for the end of 2025 and its design is likely to be based on the Nissan Chill-Out concept. However, possible designs of the Mitsubishi model have not yet been leaked. However, the underlying technology is very well known in the industry: Both the Leaf successor and the Mitsubishi are apparently to be based on the CMF EV platform, which is already used by the Nissan Ariya, for example. Depending on the vehicle size and wheelbase, batteries of up to 87 kWh and front or all-wheel drive are therefore possible.

The cooperation between Mitsubishi and Nissan is focused on the field of electric cars. Many experts therefore assumed that Mitsubishi Motors would also join the announced alliance or holding company of Nissan and Honda. However, a Japanese media report now suggests the opposite: instead, Mitsubishi wants to remain an independent, listed manufacturer that only cooperates with Honda and Nissan in some areas.

When Honda and Nissan announced the start of merger talks in December, Mitsubishi stated that it would decide by the end of January whether it wanted to take part in this project. However, the top management is now said to have decided against it, as Mitsubishi wants to expand its business primarily in the Southeast Asian market, while Honda and Nissan are focussing primarily on North America. According to the report in Japan News, the manufacturer therefore hopes that the current structure will allow it to make more flexible decisions.

yahoo.com (crossover), japannews.yomiuri.co.jp (fusion)