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The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross small SUV has gone electric in Europe, and it hasn't been ruled out for Australia.
Electric Cars
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross small SUV could return to Australia as an electric car after the local discontinuation of the current petrol and plug-in hybrid model.
Revealed for Europe this week, the Eclipse Cross is Mitsubishi's first battery-electric car outside of Japan since the global launch of the i-MiEV hatchback in 2010.
"The new Eclipse Cross is the latest step in MME’s [Mitsubishi Motors Europe's] electrification journey," a Mitsubishi Motors Australia spokesperson said.
"It looks like a great vehicle and it is logical that we would consider how it might fit in the Australian market, should it be offered outside of Europe in future."
If it becomes available for Australia, the Eclipse Cross would join a separate Mitsubishi electric SUV due to arrive in local showrooms in 2026, built in Taiwan by the Foxtron division of Foxconn, the contract manufacturer of Apple's iPhone.
The ASX will arrive in Australia by the end of 2025 to replace the current 15-year-old model after it was discontinued due to stricter safety regulations, with the Eclipse Cross and Pajero Sport also affected.
Built on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's CMF-EV platform, the Eclipse Cross shares its "long-range" 87kWh battery with the Scenic E-Tech, while a "mid-range" option will follow in 2026, likely featuring Renault's 60kWh unit.
Claimed driving range for the "long-range" Eclipse Cross is around 600 kilometres based on the European WLTP lab-test standard.
The front-wheel-drive-only model has a 160kW/300Nm electric motor, with a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 8.4 seconds and a 170km/h top speed.
Mitsubishi has confirmed it will include a heat pump as standard to avoid "unnecessary pressure on the traction battery", while the Eclipse Cross also features four levels of regenerative braking and supports 150kW direct-current (DC) charging speeds with a CC2 socket.
Measuring 4470mm long, 1860mm wide and 1570mm tall with a 2785mm wheelbase, the Eclipse Cross is 75mm shorter, 55mm wider and 115mm lower than the current internal-combustion model, with a 115mm-longer wheelbase.
Compared to the Scenic E-Tech, it has identical dimensions, with differences limited to new headlights and grille, restyled front and rear bumpers, unique 19- and 20-inch alloy wheel designs, a black tailgate panel between its tail-lights, and Mitsubishi badges instead of Renault.
Inside, the Mitsubishi is also identical to the Renault, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 15-watt wireless phone charger, and a nine-speaker, 410-watt Harman Kardon audio system.
Production of the 2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross electric SUV will start at Renault's factory in France – which also builds the Megane E-Tech for Australia – by the end of the year.
Electric Cars Guide
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
