The Nissan Leaf is finally getting the makeover it deserves

Nissan revealed caller details astir the upcoming 2026 Leaf, which volition instrumentality arsenic a crossover SUV with up to 303 miles of estimated range, dual complaint ports, and Google’s bundle built-in. The reborn Leaf volition scope dealerships successful the US starting this autumn astatine a yet-to-be-announced price.

The first-gen Leaf was somewhat charming — successful a disfigured benignant of way. The 2nd gen was not overmuch better, with bland styling and an outdated CHAdeMO charging port that practically screamed “obsolete.”

The 2026 Leaf is simply a important betterment implicit erstwhile generations successful astir each way. Gone is the frumpy hatchback, replaced by a sleek, stylish crossover with improved aerodynamics (0.26 resistance coefficient, down from 0.29) and an estimated scope betwixt 259 and 303 miles (up dramatically implicit the existent maximum range of 212 miles).

The caller Leaf volition besides acceptable itself isolated with dual complaint ports, 1 a modular CCS-compatible larboard and an further NACS larboard that allows entree to Tesla’s extended Supercharger network. This is definite to marque refueling the 2026 Leaf a amended acquisition than it was with the aged CHAdeMO-equipped models.

“We person wholly reconstructed the values of the next-generation Leaf,” said Tase Nobutaka, programme plan manager astatine Nissan, successful the property release. “We made it elemental and clean, yet with a much energetic feeling. We ensured the all-new Leaf has a dynamic shape, investigating it clip and clip again to scope our ambitious aerodynamic targets.”

It’s a immense measurement up from the existent Leaf, which was past refreshed successful 2023. Despite its presumption arsenic a pioneering EV with its zero-emission powertrain and affordable starting price, the Leaf was teetering connected the brink of discontinuation arsenic Nissan struggled with debased income and declining relevancy. Now it has been resurrected and revived with a acceptable of specs much compatible with the existent epoch than the 1 from which it emerged.

Car buyers, particularly Americans, person soured connected hatchbacks, preferring thing resembling an SUV. Even the frumpy Toyota Prius has been reimagined arsenic a sleeker, sportier sedan — truthful it lone makes consciousness that the Leaf would get its ain glow-up.

The 2026 Leaf sports a caller 75kWh, liquid-cooled lithium-ion artillery battalion paired with a 214-horsepower electrical motor. It tin accelerated complaint astatine up to 150kWh, and its dual ports volition supply a level of flexibility that doesn’t necessitate an adapter — though accelerated charging is lone allowed done one. On the operator broadside supra the fender is simply a J1772 complaint larboard that’s compatible with astir location and nationalist Level 2 chargers. On the rider side, a NACS larboard volition let fast charging astatine immoderate Tesla Supercharger.

The caller Leaf volition besides beryllium Nissan’s archetypal EV with Plug and Charge, which allows drivers to conscionable plug successful and commencement charging without the request to taxable outgo accusation oregon motion up for a third-party app. Nissan estimates that accelerated charging from 10 to 80 percent volition instrumentality 35 minutes.

The Leaf S volition beryllium the basal trim, portion the S Plus and SV Plus trims connection upgrades similar a bigger artillery and 18-inch alloy wheels. Nissan is besides adding a 4th trim level, Platinum Plus, which features 19-inch wheels and a 10-speaker Bose strategy with built-in beforehand headrest speakers. The basal exemplary S trim, which won’t beryllium disposable until outpouring 2026, volition travel with a smaller 52kWh artillery and 174-hp motor, and volition apt get an estimated 255 miles of range.

And enhanced artillery thermal absorption strategy and a vigor pump volition besides marque the Leaf the perfect EV to complaint successful winter. The Leaf’s artillery battalion is sealed by a resin cover, helping support retired acold air, snow, and slush during wintertime driving. The Leaf volition besides seizure “wasted heat” from the thrust centrifugal and the onboard charger, and repurposes that vigor to assistance lukewarm the artillery to its perfect somesthesia range. An onboard vigor pump, which comes modular connected each trims, volition efficiently lukewarm the compartment during colder months. And a artillery heater tin assistance bring the battalion to the optimal somesthesia for accelerated charging erstwhile the mercury drops. Dual charging ports volition supply a level of flexibility that doesn’t necessitate an adapter.

Nissan says its engineers tested the caller Leaf implicit 1,500 days successful some the deserts of the Southwest and Fairbanks, Alaska, to gauge however good charging holds up successful utmost vigor and utmost cold.

The plan of the caller Leaf is simply a batch cleaner and much streamlined, with retractable doorway handles (a archetypal for Nissan), concealed rear handles successful the C-pillar, an illuminated logo successful the beforehand grille, stacked rectangular lighting, and an optional full-width airy bar. The 2026 Leaf is built connected the modular CMF-EV level that besides undergirds the Ariya EV. This level features Nissan’s “3-in-1” powertrain setup that combines the motor, inverter, and reducer into a azygous unit.

With Google built-in, the Nissan Leaf seamlessly integrates apps similar Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play into a vehicle’s infotainment system. Google Maps, for example, volition amusement the vehicle’s scope and artillery capacity, and connected definite routes it’ll suggest charging stops erstwhile the destination is beyond the battery’s capacity.

S and S Plus trims volition person dual 12.3-inch screens that link wirelessly to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On SV Plus and Platinum Plus trims, those screens grow to 14.3 inches.

All trims diagnostic ProPILOT Assist steering assist, lane centering, and adaptive cruise control. The caller Leaf besides comes with a Nissan-first information exertion called Secondary Collision Mitigation Braking, which automatically applies the brakes aft the airbag is deployed to assistance trim the severity of a clang oregon forestall a secondary clang into different vehicle.

Nissan is promising much details connected the caller Leaf, including price, earlier the extremity of the year. The institution besides precocious announced that caller ICE and plug-in hybrid versions of its Rogue SUV, and refreshed models of its midsized Pathfinder SUV and Sentra sedan, would beryllium coming soon. 

Ideally, the caller Leaf volition supply a much-needed boost to Nissan. The automaker has been going done a peculiarly unsmooth patch, with declining sales and the illness of a merger deal with Honda. It decidedly needs immoderate caller products to assistance boost its wide image. And portion the Leaf surely isn’t fresh, its caller look is definite to crook a fewer heads.