The 2026 Nissan Leaf EV Is One of the Best Redesigns of the Decade
The 2026 Nissan Leaf barely looks related to the 2025 model it's replacing. While the outgoing Leaf's hatchback design was fine and inoffensive, the new version's crossover body does an exceptional job with the challenge of being appealing and distinctive without looking gimmicky or quickly dated. Pricing is TBA, but the projected max range of over 300 miles is encouraging.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this new Leaf is the prettiest car of the '20s. But this is the most dramatic and graceful generation-to-generation design evolution I've seen this decade so far. The aquamarine paint in these launch photos is doing a bit of lifting to make the car pop (Nissan calls it Seabreeze Blue Pearl), but the general shape and detail work look great. I see a little Prius-plus-Model-Y if I look at it with blurred eyes. And the vaguely Nissan Z-style taillights with a wide 'N-I-S-S-A-N' emblem floating between them give the back an almost retrofuturistic flair.
Under the skin is a simple but not minimalist cockpit layout, what looks like a lot of headroom, and 55.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seats. The new Leaf's two main party tricks are an optional dimmable panoramic roof—pretty wild to see in a relatively low-end get-around car—and a battery heating program to make winter driving easier. Nissan
A 214-horsepower electric motor provides propulsion, fed by a 75-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. A 174-hp motor and 52-kWh battery pack will come out later at a lower price. That's the same peak horsepower we had in the 2025 Leaf, but considerably better battery specs. The 2025 Leaf's SV model had 214 hp and a 60 kWh battery, while the outgoing base S model had 147 hp and 40 kWh.
There will be four Leaf trim levels, with range estimates breaking down like this:
2026 Nissan Leaf OEM Range Specs S S+ SV+ Platinum+ City (MPGe) TBA 131 123 110 City (MPGe) TBA 111 105 96 Combined (MPGe) TBA 121 114 103 Range (miles) TBA 303 288 259
The S model weighs 3,955 pounds, while the heaviest Platinum Plus is 4,369 pounds. All the Leaf body styles are the same tall crossover coupe shape, 14.45 feet long with a 35.4-foot curb-to-curb turning diameter. The current Leaf (that's a '22 model on the left) is fine, but the new car is dramatically cooler. Nissan
The 2026 Leaf has a J1772 charge port on the driver-side fender for Level 2 chargers and a NACS fast charge port on the passenger side for use with Tesla Superchargers. That's an unusual configuration—I'm surprised to see no mention of a CSS charger in Nissan's press material, since those are usually the public fast-charging connections I've seen out and about.
The car can charge at up to 150 kWh. Practically speaking, that should mean it can quick charge from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes at a Level 3 charger.
As for the winter battery-care provisions I mentioned earlier—Nissan's explained that the battery 'sealed by a resin cover beneath the vehicle, helping keep cold air, snow and slush,' and that the car 'also now captures wasted heat from the drive motor and the on-board charger … and re-purposes that heat to help warm the battery to its ideal temperature range.' The vehicle also has an 'energy-efficient' heat pump to warm the cabin and an optional battery heater for very cold environments.
For driver connectivity, the Leaf will have Google functionality built in and Nissan Safety Shield 360 as standard, which means all '26 Leafs (Leaves?) will have auto emergency braking (front and rear), auto high beams (such an underrated feature), lane departure warning, blind spot warnings, and cross-traffic alert for when you're backing up blind. Nissan
This new Leaf is scheduled to hit dealerships this fall, so I'd expect pricing to be announced within the next few months. The outgoing 2025 Leaf ranged from about $28,000 to $37,000, so the '26 will definitely be more than that. I'm guessing low to high 30s with the top model passing the $40k mark. But you can count on it remaining below the larger Ariya EV, which lists between about $40,000 and $55,000 for 2025.
I won't go so far as to say 'this car could save Nissan,' but it should put the Leaf on a lot more people's radar. Nissan
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