A new Leaf - Nissan reinvents its EV icon as a sleek crossover

17 June 2025

The Nissan Leaf, a vehicle that for many represents the dawn of the mass-market electric car, is undergoing its most significant transformation yet. Shedding its familiar, friendly hatchback form, the next-generation Leaf emerges as a sharp, modern crossover. The company is betting that a complete redesign, coupled with major performance and technology upgrades, will attract a new wave of buyers looking to switch from gasoline to electric.

For its latest act, the 2026 Nissan Leaf adopts a "crossover coupe" silhouette, a popular style that blends the high-riding position of an SUV with the sloping roofline of a sports car. The new design is a world away from its predecessors. The front end features aggressive, slim LED headlights that flank a smooth, body-colored panel, concealing an active grille shutter that opens and closes to improve aerodynamics.

The vehicle measures 173.4 inches in length, making it actually more compact than the outgoing model. Leaf's clever design makes it Nissan's most aerodynamic production vehicle ever, boasting a drag coefficient as low as 0.25. Flush door handles on the front and neatly tucked rear handles in the C-pillars contribute to its clean profile, while the sporty rear, with its integrated spoiler and dark-tinted lights, borrows a little attitude from the Nissan Z sports car.

Inside, Nissan followed the industry-wide trend of minimalist design. The dashboard is dominated by a large digital panel housing either dual 12.3-inch or upgraded 14.3-inch screens for instrumentation and infotainment, depending on the trim level. A new two-spoke steering wheel and a set of buttons to select gears replace the traditional shifter, freeing up cabin space. Although we appreciate physical buttons instead of hidden menus on the display, Nissan's execution of the gear selection feels somewhat last-minute.

For a touch of high-tech luxury, an optional panoramic roof features "e-Dimming" technology, which can turn the glass opaque at the touch of a button, eliminating the need for a physical sunshade. The cabin's spacious feel is enhanced by the CMF-EV platform, the same architecture used for the larger Nissan Ariya, which allows for a completely flat floor.

The Leaf will be offered exclusively with a single motor driving the front wheels, but buyers can choose between two battery and power configurations. The entry-level model comes equipped with a 52 kWh battery paired with a motor producing 174 horsepower (130 kW) and 254 lb-ft of torque.

The flagship version will offer a larger 75 kWh battery, and it will bump the power output to 214 hp (160 kW) and 262 lb-ft of torque. Nissan also focused on refinement, engineering a new motor that is reportedly 75% quieter and 10% smaller than before. The chassis has also been stiffened by 66%, and a new multi-link rear suspension promises more agile and comfortable handling.

Nissan claims the larger 75 kWh battery will deliver a range of up to 303 miles. More impressively, using a DC fast charger, the new Leaf can supposedly gain 155 miles of range in just 14 minutes, and a 10-80% charge can be completed in about 35 minutes. US models will feature the NACS port for access to Tesla's Supercharger network, while European versions will use the CCS standard, and Japanese models will keep the CHAdeMO port.

Since the first Leaf rolled off the line in 2010, Nissan has sold nearly 700,000 units globally. The company states it has used over a decade of customer feedback to inform the development of this new generation. The goal, according to Nissan executives, was to create an EV that could directly compete with traditional gas-powered cars in terms of convenience and desirability.

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