Two, Three, or in Japanese – Nissan
The Nissan Leaf was the original cheap EV way back in 2011, but now it’s 2025 and a lot has changed. You can now get an EV for around $35,000 that offers in excess of 350 miles of range, like the Chevy Equinox EV did in the Edmunds EV range test.
The 2026 Nissan Leaf: What’s New?
So, how does this, the all-new 2026 Leaf, stack up? Let’s find out.
Most notably, the Leaf is no longer a true hatchback. Instead, it’s been transformed—like just about everything else these days—into a crossover. It’s got a lifted ride height and this sloping roofline that gives it that more crossovery SUV look. Now, those looks do also hint at one disappointment that I’m going to touch on later.
Styling and First Impressions
To my eyes, this styling looks more like a mashup of the Ariya and Kicks SUVs in Nissan’s lineup more so than it does the outgoing Leafs (or Leaves). Like the outgoing Leaf, the new one has a really distinctive wheel design. These are 19-inch wheels, and I really, really like them. They’re also the biggest that’s ever been offered on a Leaf.
Plus, we’ve also got these really angular, sharp headlights up front with a light bar across the width of the front end.
Hatchback No More
Like I said, the new Leaf is no longer a traditional hatchback shape. Instead, it’s been replaced with this, which is the same kind of blobby, amorphous, anonymous design that we see in a lot of pseudo crossover EVs. Now, there is a benefit, and that comes in range, which we’ll touch on later. But at what cost?
Increased Competition in the Market
You see, when we look at the new Leaf, we have to also look at its competition. The cute, affordable EV market is way more populated now than it was when the Leaf first came out. We’ve got things like the Chevy Equinox EV, the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, and even the Tesla Model 3—all of which have their own distinct styling cues.
I think the Leaf does a pretty good job too. At the front and rear ends, the lighting elements are unique. There are really, really cool motifs, and just in profile, it’s a bit anonymous.
Interior: A Pleasant Surprise
I actually really like this fabric. It’s nice, and “nice” is kind of a theme of this cabin. It’s just a good place to be. It’s minimalist. It’s open. It’s airy—but it’s not spartan like some competitors (cough cough Tesla Model 3).
We have some real physical controls here, which is really, really helpful. Hate when everything’s buried in the touchscreen.
Seat Comfort and Materials
These seats are covered in Nissan’s Tailor Fit material, which is essentially a faux leather made with sustainable materials. It’s fine. Nissan says it’s softer and more durable than leather. I think it feels a bit like nylon, but that’s just me.
That said, I do appreciate the two-tone look of these seats. The blue and white is a really nice touch. And the quilting is pretty cool as well.
Cabin Technology
Now, we can’t talk about this interior transformation without touching on tech. First of all, there’s this cool new panoramic roof that’s electronically dimmable. Love that.
Up front, you have this—the centerpiece. These are dual 14.3-inch displays. Standard on the Leaf is dual 12.3-inch displays, but higher trims get these big, nice, crisp, responsive screens.
Google Integration and Missing Features
So, it’s not just the hardware that’s impressive in this car. You also get full Google integration in higher trim levels like this Platinum Plus model. What does that mean?
As long as you’re within the free trial or paying for the subscription, you get full Google integration—that’s Google Maps, Google Assistant, anything you can name, you got it here in this car.
All that being said, there is one pretty disappointing tech omission here, and that’s the lack of Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 2.0 hands-free driving assistant for the highway. It’s available in the larger Ariya, and it’s a really good system. We’ve been seriously impressed with it in previous tests.
Other competitors like the Chevy Equinox EV offer things like GM Super Cruise—another hands-free driving assistant that also works really well. So, it’s disappointing to not have it here in the Leaf.
Storage and Usability
Importantly, does the new Leaf pass the big water bottle test? Let’s find out.
Okay, not the center console, but it fits nice and snug there in the door pocket. Now, one of the things we didn’t love about the old Leaf was the small center console storage, and frankly, it’s not really much better here in the new one. It’s a pretty deep space, but it’s not very wide. I don’t really think you could fit a ton of your stuff in here.
Rear Cabin Details
I love that they’ve upholstered the back of the front seats. That’s a really nice touch. Interestingly though, the inside of the door—unlike the front—is not upholstered. Kind of odd.
Otherwise, materials in the back are pretty much the same as they are up front. And we’ve got this nice, super, super cushy center armrest that folds down as well.
However, in terms of space back here, it’s not exactly what I’d call roomy. I’m 5’11”, which is nothing crazy, and my head’s brushing the ceiling, and I don’t really have a ton of leg or knee room back here.
Rear Seat Features
In terms of tech, we’ve got two USB-C ports, a nice AC outlet down there, and even heated back seats in this Platinum Plus model.
Range Improvements
Okay, so get this. In the right configuration, the new Leaf has up to four times as much range as the original model. It’s up to 303 miles of Nissan-estimated range. And that’s also 90 miles more than the most range you could get in the outgoing model.
So, where does all that range come from? Well, the big answer is battery capacity. We’ve now got a 75 kWh unit here as the larger of the two battery packs. So, that’s about 25% larger than the biggest battery you could get in the outgoing model.
That combined with the now more aerodynamic design—that range number starts to make more sense.
Realistic Range by Trim
It’s important to remember though that that 303-mile number is for the S+ model only. Now, that’s the base trim with the least amount of features but with the upgraded battery pack.
Once you start stepping up the rungs a little bit, that number decreases. It’s actually only 259 miles in the most expensive, most highly optioned Platinum Plus model that you see here. And that’s due to the fact that we’ve got bigger wheels, more features, and therefore more weight.
Like I said, these numbers are all manufacturer claims. As soon as we get our hands on a Leaf, we’ll put it through the Edmunds EV range test to get our own real-world range numbers.
Charging Ports and Compatibility
Cool fact about the new Leaf: there’s two charge ports here—one on the passenger side and one on the driver’s side.
The one on the passenger side is a Tesla-style NACS port that will give you access to over 21,000 fast charging Tesla stations around the country. That’s a big, big deal, and it should make charging the new Leaf even easier.
On the driver’s side, you get a standard AC outlet that’ll give you access to your level two chargers for charging at home.
Charging Speed and Improvements
Extra charging options are great, but what about charging speed? Well, new Leaf owners will notice a big difference between this and the outgoing model.
Nissan says this car can charge from 10% to 80% range in just 35 minutes. That’s adding about 210 miles in that time in this larger battery-equipped model. We’ll also put those claims to the test with the Edmunds EV charging test, so stay tuned.
Does It Stand Out?
Here’s the thing, though. All these changes don’t really break any new ground. Rather, they just bring the Leaf up to speed with its competitors. And that’s kind of a theme for this car.
Where the outgoing one was getting dated and behind, this one is meeting the rest of the pack—but it’s not doing anything particularly special in terms of range, in terms of charging speed, in terms of tech. It’s all pretty standard stuff.
A Disappointment: No All-Wheel Drive
Plus, there’s one more disappointment that I touched on earlier when I was talking about the styling, and that’s the fact that despite Nissan calling this a crossover SUV vehicle, you can’t get it with all-wheel drive.
You can only get it with one motor at the front axle, meaning this car is front-wheel drive only. If you’re going to call it a crossover, at least give it all-drivability.
Performance Specs and Launch Date
Now, that single motor up front here in this model with the larger battery pack produces 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque, which is not going to light your hair on fire but is okay for a compact vehicle like this.
Nissan says the new Leaf will go on sale in the fall of 2025. And we don’t have pricing just yet, but the brand does claim that it’ll remain one of the most affordable EVs on the market.
Final Thoughts
And that’s the lowdown on the new Leaf. Thanks for watching and make sure you hit that like and subscribe button below for more content like drag races, car reviews, first looks, and everything in between.