The third-generation, 2026 Nissan Leaf EV enters the market with more power, range, and a metric ton of style. But how does it compare to today’s competition?

What’s Good: The four-wheel independent suspension delivers a pleasant and comfortable ride. I appreciate the generous sized instrument cluster and center display screens.

What Could Improve:  Plenty of wind noise to distract you. Range on the Platinum+ model leaves me with a touch of range anxiety. No true one pedal drive option.

My Conclusion: A vastly better looking, well behaved, and—critically—competitively priced entry BEV that ticks a lot of practical boxes.

OVERVIEW

Nissan built the third-generation Leaf on a dedicated EV platform, which allowed for big improvements in both layout and styling. Gone are the awkward, bulbous lines that make the first- and second-generation models look a bit out of place in the modern world. Replaced by a Murano inspired, floating roof design, with full width driving running lights up front, charming taillights in the rear, and swooping lines in between.

Nissan also decreased the coefficient of drag and increased the battery capacity. The two combine to deliver over 300 miles of range in the S+ trim. The heaviest, Platinum+ trim still manages to travel over 250 miles on a single charge. A big improvement, though a touch underwhelming in the modern EV world.

But the base price of $31,485 for the S+ trim, the base trim for now, brings the Leaf right back to compelling. Even the top Platinum+ trim, loaded with useful goodies, only creeps above $40k, starting at $40,485.

powertrain

Eventually Nissan will offer two battery pack sizes and electric motor outputs. But the base S trim, with its smaller 52 kWh battery pack and 174 HP 254 lb.-ft. of torque motor will arrive at dealers a bit later. However, expect the S+, SV+, and top-of-the-line Platinum+ trims to reach dealer lots in a matter of weeks.

All three share the same electric motor, which spins up 214 HP, 261 lb.-ft. of torque. That power then heads to the front wheels with the help of a single drive down gear. And it harvests energy from a 75-kWh battery pack. In the S+ trim, it will manage 303 miles of travel before fully depleting the battery. The SV+ squeezes 288 miles from the same pack. The Platinum suffers from extra equipment inside and larger, 19-in wheels to only travel 259 miles from a full charge.

Yet, the motor pulls around the Leaf Platinum+ just fine, despite an only so-so weight to power ratio of 20.4:1. Courtesy of lighting fast accelerator response and 261 lb.-ft of torque available always, the nearly 4400 lb. compact hatchback moves about the city, highway, and even interstate swiftly enough 99 percent of the time.

Bury the accelerator from a standstill and the Leaf squats on its haunches and bolts off with immediacy, just not a ton of pull. No matter, I found getting through traffic in the Leaf largely energetic and effortless.

Unfortunately, you cannot one pedal drive the Leaf. Nissan offers four levels of regenerative deceleration. At the highest setting, you get similar to one-pedal drive levels of decel, but that fades away as you slow down and requires giving the left pedal your attention. You do also have e-step, which provides reasonable decel, whether the battery needs the charge or not, but that too fades away at low speeds.

time to charge

To keep costs down, Nissan stuck with a 400v system. That means the battery handles up to 150kW of charging power and requires 35 minutes on a fast charger to reach 80 percent state of charge from 10 percent. That’s a touch underwhelming today. Especially when vehicles like the Hyundai Ioniq5 manage the same feat in 20 minutes. But a base Ioniq5 starts in the mid $40k range. Or a couple grand more than this top Platinum+ Leaf.

And Nissan put a lot of effort into adding convenience into the Leaf. A NACS port resides on the passenger front quarter panel, ready to plug into any Tesla Supercharger. And, on the driver’s side, an SAE port (J1772) ready to handle other style fast chargers, as well as level one and level two charging duties.

From there, Nissan offers plenty of information via its MyNissan app. Among other things, it helps you find the nearest available charging station while on the road. There’s also something called Plug & Charge. Once set up, you simply plug into a compatible charger and start charging, no payment or start up necessary. It’s all automatic.

While Nissan didn’t break any new ground in the charging time field or amaze with impressive range figures. The Leaf makes a step towards using the existing system with less fuss.

chassis

Nissan bolted up the most common suspension setup in the Leaf, struts up front, multilink in the rear. The four-wheel independent suspension easily soaks up all the bumps and expansion joints on the roads and even maintains its composure if the going gets twisty. However, Nissan tuned it with ride much more than handling in mind.

Turn into a corner with anger and the front-end loses grip early. You get a heavy dose of understeer if you push to the lateral limits. Moreover, traction control will sometimes abruptly lift restrictions on torque giving a slightly unsettling surge mid-corner, all while the EV tires yelp a high-pitched squeal in protest.

So, you know, don’t do that. Turn the driving temperature down a notch and the Leaf handles like a competent, composed, tall hatchback. One that will get you from A to B in comfort. Even the 19-in tires provide enough sidewall to take the sting out of sharp cracks in the pavement.

Practical Luxuries

Going with the Platinum+ trim shows off all of Nissan’s tricks to make the Leaf a charming vehicle. Top of the list for me is the electric chromatic, panoramic roof. At the turn of a switch, you choose between fully opaque, fully visible, just the front-half open, or just the rear-half open. When choosing between the latter two, Nissan “etched” in LEAF letting into the opaque portion of the glass. Clever.

The Platinum+ trim also includes an easy-to-read head-up display. The HUD shows, speed and range, but also displays driving aid information from the Nissan Safety Shield 360 and ProPILOT assist tech.

In the colder months, the top-trim also offers a heated steering wheel as well as heated front and rear seats (except for the middle rear seat). The Leaf SV+ also includes heated front seats, but the rest requires going Platinum.

Both the SV+ and Platinum+ get the larger, 14.3-in set of screens: one for the digital instrument cluster, the other for the center display. Those two trims also include Google Built-in on the center display (Google Maps, Play, and Assistant). S and S+ trims swap those out for 12.3-in screens. But every Leaf offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Inside Space and Comfort

Resisting the trend, the latest Leaf actually shrunk compared to the outgoing model. While 0.8-in wider than before, the third generation Leaf measures 3.0-in less from nose-to-tail, lobbed off the top 0.4 of an inch from the roof, and even crept the front and rear axles closer together by 0.4 in. See the specs below for the dimensions. Over all, the new Leaf lands right smack in the middle of a compact hatchback footprint.

By the way, Nissan calls it a crossover, fair enough. It stands tallish and offers a decent 20 cu.-ft of cargo space behind the second row and a healthy 55 cubic feet with that row folded. But this is a front-wheel-drive machine only. And you get a scant 5.3-in of ground clearance. Not exactly your first choice to hit the trails or load the family for a road trip.

But back to space. Second row passengers will feel a touch cramped. At five feet, eleven inches tall, I sat back there with more than a ninety-degree bend in my knees, cramped toes, and little knee room. That said, I’d manage fine on a shorter drive. And, up front, Nissan installed both comfortable and supportive seats. Platinum+ adds adjustable lumbar support for added coziness.

Conclusion

Nissan vastly improved the third generation Leaf over the outgoing model. But—ultimately—that only brought it back to par with today’s quickly improving competition. Case in point, I really hoped the Platinum+ trim provided much closer to 300 miles of range. Not a bit better than 250 miles.

On the other hand, Nissan built an attractive, convenient, compact EV at a price well beneath the vast majority of the competition. Beneath the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Hyundai Kona EV. It also behaves itself well on the road and provides respectable space for people and cargo. Its competence combined with its price is what impresses.

If you want to dip your toes into the EV world without breaking the bank, the Leaf provides a great place to start. Just keep those toes from the tight back seat.

Competitors

Chevrolet Equinox EV
Hyundai Kona EV
Toyota bZ

Specifications

2026 Nissan Leaf Platinum+: 5-door, 5-seat, hatchback
Base price: $40,485 (includes $1495 destination charge)
Price as Tested: $41,930

Powertrain: electric motor
Peak Power: 214 horsepower
Peak Torque: 261 lb.-ft  
Transmission: single-speed drive down gear
Drive: front-wheel-drive

Fuel Economy in MPGe and range
110 city
96 highway
103 combined
Range: 259 miles

Dimensions
Length: 173.4 inches
Width: 71.3 inches
Height: 61.3 inches
Wheelbase: 105.9 inches

Weights and Capacities
Curb weight: 4369 lbs.  
Interior volume: na cu ft
Cargo volume (seats up/folded): 20/55 cu ft

Calculated weight to power (lbs./HP): 20.4:1
Mfr’s claimed 0-60 mph: na seconds
Mfr’s claimed Top Speed: na mph
Government classified size: na

Options: Premium two-tone paint, $800; floor mat package, $345; battery heater, $300