2026 Nissan Leaf Isn't Perfect, But It's Light Years Better Than Before

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

This twelvemonth nan world's first mass-market EV, nan Nissan Leaf, celebrates its 15th twelvemonth connected sale, and to observe Nissan gave nan small Leaf its astir important redesign yet. No longer a compact hatchback, nan third-generation Leaf is now a front-wheel-drive crossover that's really somewhat smaller than nan outgoing car. While I'm not usually a instrumentality of automakers taking cars and redesigning them into crossovers, the 2026 Leaf is rather likeable.

The 2026 Leaf has a liquid-cooled and optionally heated 75-kWh battery that Nissan estimates will nett a maximum scope of 303 miles, astir 100 much than nan aged model, and it boasts the cheapest starting value of immoderate EV connected nan marketplace astatine $31,485, including $1,495 destination. Beyond conscionable nan overmuch longer range, location are galore different upgrades that make nan redesigned Nissan Leaf ray years amended than nan car it replaces.

Full disclosure: Nissan put maine up successful a beautiful 5-star edifice successful sunny San Diego for a nighttime and fed maine delicious nutrient truthful I could sample its caller Leaf.

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The caller Leaf is expected to scope trader tons successful nan adjacent fewer weeks, and it will only beryllium disposable pinch nan larger 75-kWh artillery astatine first, but an moreover cheaper guidelines car pinch a 52-kWh artillery will beryllium disposable early adjacent year. As it stands, nan cheapest 2026 Nissan Leaf is nan S+ trim, which starts astatine that $31,485 number and has nan longest scope of nan lineup astatine 303 miles. The mid-grade (and anticipated measurement seller) SV+ trim jumps to $35,725 and has a little 288-mile scope acknowledgment to a heavier curb weight, while nan apical Platinum+ trim starts astatine $40,485 and has a 259-mile scope owed to its larger 19-inch wheels and moreover heavier weight. The smaller-battery guidelines exemplary will person a scope of 196 miles.

I only sewage to thrust a Leaf Platinum+, which has tons of fancy options for illustration a dimming panoramic sunroof, a hands-free powerfulness liftgate, 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a 10-speaker Bose sound system, and throwback Z-inspired 3D holographic taillights. Those lights besides correspond nan connection Nissan, since nan Japanese connection for nan number 3 is "ni" and nan Japanese connection for 2 is "san," which corresponds to nan 3 vertical outer lighting elements and nan 2 trunklid-mounted horizontal lighting elements; each different Leaf trims only get nan outer lighting elements, which is lame.

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Despite Nissan calling nan caller Leaf a crossover, it's really 3 inches shorter successful magnitude (making it astir nan aforesaid magnitude arsenic a Kicks and 10 inches shorter than an Ariya) and 0.4 inches little successful tallness than nan second-generation Leaf, and its wheelbase is 0.4 inches shorter, too. The 2026 Leaf is 0.8 inches wider, though.

Inside nan caller Leaf, Nissan did a bully occupation of making nan interior look and consciousness premium and maximizing this mini car's interior room. It has 1 inch little front-seat headroom than nan aged Leaf astatine 39.9 inches, and virtually nan aforesaid legroom astatine 42.4 inches, but it is wider, pinch 2 further inches of some hep and enarthrosis room. The interior felt airy and had reasonable rider abstraction for specified a mini car, but nan beforehand seats beryllium adjacent to nan floor, truthful if you person agelong legs for illustration maine your knees will beryllium person to your look than you whitethorn beryllium accustomed to. Platinum+ trim Leafs for illustration my trial car travel modular pinch a nifty panoramic solid tile that person dimmable sections that uncover a astonishment Leaf badge erstwhile it's halfway 'open,' and I still recovered plentifulness of front-seat headroom for my 6'8" frame.

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The rear seats, however, are tight, pinch 2 inches little legroom than nan 2025 Leaf and astir an inch little headroom pinch nan panoramic sunroof; models without nan sunroof person virtually nan aforesaid headroom arsenic past year's car. Because of really nan beforehand seats are mounted, I had nary room for nan admittedly important cushioning connected my Hoka shoes to descent nether them, truthful I had to beryllium duck-footed pinch my toes pushed against nan beforehand seats and my heels wedged against nan rear spot bottom. If you scheme to transportation gangly passengers, nan Ariya would beryllium a amended Nissan EV for you.

I deliberation everything astir nan caller Leaf looks great, wrong and out. I for illustration that it looks for illustration it's larger than it is, I for illustration nan holographic Z-inspired taillights, and I for illustration nan nosy Seabreeze Blue Pearl paint. Inside, I emotion nan two-spoke steering instrumentality and its wide precocious opening that gives a clear position of nan gauges, I for illustration nan "TailorFit" spot worldly that feels for illustration leather but is recyclable, and I really admit that Nissan gives you a bully ledge to perch your manus connected erstwhile you request to usage nan touchscreen while driving. The infotainment surface was a agelong scope for maine and a spot confusing to use, but I only had a fewer hours successful nan car to trial and fig everything retired truthful return that pinch a atom of salt. I'm sad that nan funky joystick cogwheel selector was replaced by a boring push-button arrangement, and it's still a shame to spot different caller car suffer its beingness ambiance controls successful favour of touch delicate "buttons."

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On nan upside, erstwhile you unfastened nan Platinum+ trim's hands-free powerfulness tailgate, cargo abstraction down nan rear seats is astir 3 cubic feet smaller than past year, but there's astir double nan abstraction astatine 55 cubic feet erstwhile nan rear seats are folded down. The cargo abstraction is nicely flexible, pinch under-floor retention that's hidden from show by a frustrating divided level that is not hinged, conscionable tethered by a bunch of straps that I couldn't fig out, but it tin double arsenic a cargo divider. There is nary frunk here, though, truthful each your cargo needs to fresh successful nan trunk.

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All Leafs fitted pinch nan 75-kWh artillery battalion person a front-mounted centrifugal that sends 214 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque to nan beforehand wheels only; nary all-wheel-drive action is presently available, though Nissan didn't norm retired nan anticipation of AWD successful nan future. The upcoming guidelines model's smaller front-mounted centrifugal will nutrient 174 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque.

My afloat loaded Leaf Platinum+ had ample powerfulness for accelerating and passing, without nan neck-snapping immediacy of immoderate EVs. When accelerating from a standstill nan powerfulness to came connected gradually, which should make nan driving acquisition smoother for nan first-time EV adopters that nan Leaf is apt to attract. The driving acquisition is delightfully sprightly acknowledgment to nan Leaf's debased halfway of gravity and a steering rack that feels a spot lazy erstwhile pointed consecutive but tightens up importantly erstwhile you move it much than halfway. All caller Leafs travel pinch 4 selectable thrust modes: Normal, which is normal; Sport, which increases throttle consequence and nicely firms up nan steering Eco, which nerfs accelerator pedal inputs drastically to conserve battery; and Personal, which is customizable.

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The Leaf's brakes are a mixed bag. The first fewer inches of recreation erstwhile I pushed nan brake pedal felt mushy and didn't really look to do overmuch successful position of deceleration, but erstwhile I dug deeper into nan pedal they worked conscionable fine. There's nary one-pedal thrust mode, which is simply a disappointment, but location are 4 levels of regenerative braking arsenic good arsenic a not-quite-one-pedal-drive E-step mode that's solely engaged by pressing a console-mounted button. I was thrown disconnected by nan truth that nan brake pedal physically depresses erstwhile regen deceleration is initiated pinch E-step mode engaged. When I was coasting pinch my ft disconnected nan accelerator successful E-step and went to pat nan brake pedal to scope a complete stop, nan brakes grabbed harder than they would successful immoderate different thrust mode because nan brake pedal was already partially depressed, which threw maine and my co-driver forward.

Nissan gave nan caller Leaf four-wheel independent suspension, which nan institution says allows for a quieter, much composed ride, and it has a nicely hushed thrust that doesn't smack aliases clang complete surgery pavement. The compartment is well-insulated from nan road, pinch immoderate upwind sound sneaking successful astir nan helping mirrors and doorway seals, but it's mighty quiet astatine metropolis speeds. The suspension allows a very earthy magnitude of assemblage rotation successful corners, but unfortunately, it besides caused an unpleasant pogo-like behaviour from nan suspension connected undulating roadworthy surfaces that felt for illustration nan car was see-sawing aliases bucking fore and aft. It's not a dealbreaker, particularly astatine nan Leaf's value point, but it mightiness beryllium troublesome for passengers who suffer from mobility sickness.

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Two of nan Leaf's astir unique attributes are nan driver-side-mounted J1772 AC-only complaint port, and nan NACS DC-only complaint larboard connected nan rider side. In theory, these 2 options unfastened nan Leaf to some Tesla chargers and different nationalist chargers, but there's a analyzable and confusing quality betwixt nan two. The J1772 complaint larboard connected nan driver's broadside is only capable to judge AC power, which includes up to Level 2 complaint speeds, truthful if you complaint your car astatine home, you tin only usage that J1772 plug. If you want to fast-charge your Leaf, you tin only usage nan NACS larboard connected nan different side. So if you person a Tesla charger installed astatine your location aliases spot aliases want to complaint astatine an NACS slow charger, you will request an adapter, and if you want to fast-charge astatine a CCS station, you will request an adapter. This is judge to confuse nan wide nationalist whose eyes conscionable glazed complete reference that paragraph.

At slightest it nary longer has a CHAdeMO port, and Nissan yet gave nan Leaf a liquid-cooled artillery which will amended its longevity, vehicle-to-load capability, and a artillery heater that's a $300 action connected each trims and helps to maximize complaint speeds successful acold weather. Nissan says nan 75-kWh artillery tin complaint astatine up to 150 kW, and that a 10%-80% fast-charge takes 35 minutes, which is astir 10 minutes little than nan 2025 Leaf needed to execute nan aforesaid feat contempt having a overmuch smaller battery.

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All Leafs travel pinch Nissan's ProPilot Assist strategy that includes adaptive cruise power and lane centering, arsenic good arsenic nan Safety Shield suite of automated emergency braking, unsighted spot monitoring, lane departure prevention, and rear transverse postulation alert. The guidelines S and S+ trims person a 12.3-inch gauge cluster show and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, while each different trims get dual 14.3-inch screens. All trims person modular wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto arsenic good arsenic 2 beforehand USB-C ports, but only SV+ and Platinum+ trims get rear AC vents, a wireless telephone charger and 2 rear USB-C ports. Platinum+ trim Leafs for illustration my trial car besides get heated outboard rear seats, a head-up display, a 12-way powerfulness driver's seat, and a 10-speaker Bose audio strategy pinch speakers successful some beforehand spot caput restraints, which I didn't find to beryllium peculiarly precocious fidelity. Base cars get a measly 4-speaker stereo, and SV+ cars get a 6-speaker system. Those 2 precocious trims besides get Google built-in pinch Google Maps, Google Assistant, and entree to nan app store, and this is nan first Nissan that allows video streaming erstwhile parked.

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Overall, I really enjoyed driving nan third-generation 2026 Nissan Leaf. Is it perfect? No, but it is nan cheapest EV connected nan marketplace correct now, and it's a quantum leap guardant from nan second-gen Leaf. At a clip erstwhile nan mean value of a caller car is astir $50,000, nan caller Leaf represents a awesome value, particularly successful its little trim levels. The mid-grade SV+ trim has plentifulness of desirable features and still rings successful astatine nan $35,000 mark, and it's nan trim I would spell for if it was my money.

By nan extremity of its life, nan second-generation Leaf was wholly brownish and shriveled up, moreover sprouting immoderate mold, hardly clinging to relevancy. But nan caller Leaf is caller and vibrant, a crossover that's reinvigorated and fresh to bring affordable and moreover desirable emissions-free motoring to nan adjacent procreation of affordable EV buyers.