Nissan Zapped in a New Leaf for 2026!

Nissan just introduced the third-generation, 2026 Leaf battery-electric-vehicle, boasting more range, a smaller footprint, and a boatload of style.

For the first time since starting its life in 2011, the 2026 Nissan Leaf brings some style to the table to start its third-generation. Taking a lot of styling cues from the new-for-2025 Nissan Murano, the Leaf looks like a seven-eighths scale version of the crossover. While the actual footprint of the BEV shrank a touch, the battery pack grew, as did the features list.

COMPETITIVE BATTERY PACK

First and foremost, Nissan chucked the outgoing Leaf’s 60 kWh battery pack in the trash and replaced it with a much more appropriate, 75-kWh, lithium-ion pack. Doing so increases driving range a solid 91 miles to 303 miles between charges. That’s if you choose the S+ trim. If you go SV+, range drops to 288 miles, Platinum+ makes do with 259 miles between charges.

A fourth, base trim, the S, gets a smaller, 52 kWh, battery pack and offers a range that Nissan kept mum about. I suspect it to hover around the 200-mile mark.

2026 Nissan Leaf, rear 3/4 in action. Image courtesy of Nissan.

The bigger battery accepts up to 150 kW of power, which will get it to an 80 percent state-of-charge from 10 percent in 35 minutes. Competitive in today’s EV world and a vast improvement from before. To achieve those numbers, plug into the NACS (North American Charging Standard) port on the passenger front side. For level one and two charging duties, Nissan also installed a J1772 port on the driver side. Slick.

Also more efficient than before, Nissan added ways to collect waste heat from the electric motor and on-board charger to help maintain ideal battery pack temperature, even in the winter. There’s also a heat pump to aid keeping the cabin warm, but only on the SV+ and Platinum+ trims.

2026 Nissan Leaf, 19-in alloy wheel. Image courtesy of Nissan.

FRONT WHEEL PROPULSION

All the pluses (S+, SV+, Platinum+) make use of the more powerful of two electric motors, sending 214 HP and 261 lb.-ft of torque to the front wheels. That’s merely adequate in the modern EV world. But also helps keep the cost down. Speaking of, the base S trim makes do with a 174 Hp and 254 lb-ft.

2026 Nissan Leaf, in profile. Image courtesy of Nissan.

MURANO STYLE, KICKS FOOTPRINT

In the styling department, the Leaf makes huge gains over its predecessor. It looks quite a lot like the new Nissan Murano, but it’s actually much closer in size to the Nissan Kicks.

The new Leaf measures slightly longer and wider than the Kicks, but not quite as tall. It’s also slightly smaller than the outgoing Leaf, a welcome change of pace. That puts it on the small side of all the subcompact crossovers roaming around these days. The Leaf stretches 173.4-in long, 71.3-in wide, 61.3-in tall, and rides on a 105.9-in wheelbase.

As for wheels, if you choose the S or S+, you’ll roll on 18-in steel wheels. The SV+ gets 18-in alloys, and the Platinum gets 19-in alloys.

The Leaf not only looks better, but it also slips through air more easily, with a coefficient of drag of 0.26 instead of 0.29. That’s a noticeable improvement. Oh, and one neat trick, you can option the Leaf with a dimming panoramic roof, similar to what Toyota offered on the Venza.

2026 Nissan Leaf, interior. Image courtesy of Nissan.

MODERN INTERIOR

Inside, the SV+ and Platinum+ trims get two 14.3-in screens, one for the instrument cluster, the other for the center display. The S and S+ use a pair of 12.3-in screens instead. All of them include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But Google Built-in will be an option on some (Google Assistant, Maps, and Play).

And while the Leaf continues to seat up to five, cargo room improves considerably, now 20 cubic feet behind the second row, 55 cubic feet with the second row folded. It also generally looks comfy, though, fitting adults in the second row might prove tough with its short overall length.

2026 Nissan Leaf, dual 14.3-in screens. Image courtesy of Nissan.

COMING SOONISH

Expect the see the Leaf arrive at dealers sometime this fall. No word on pricing yet. Considering that the current Leaf starts just under $30K ($29,280 for a Leaf S, incl. dest.), I bet Nissan will charge something similar for the new one, maybe starting just above $30k. As for the Platinum+, given that the current SV+ stays well under $40k ($37,330, incl. dest.), I bet it will crest $40k, but not by a huge margin.

Either way, Nissan clearly made huge gains with its original BEV. If the brand can keep the price competitive, I expect it will sway a few more EV curious folks to a test drive at least. Something I look forward to myself—for a review—as soon as I get the chance.

2026 Nissan Leaf, dimmable panoramic roof. Image courtesy of Nissan.