First Drive! Does the 2026 Nissan Leaf Turn Over a New, Uh, Leaf?
Nissan was first to market with an EV in the 21st century—can the new 2026 Leaf help it regain ground?
Christian SeabaughWriterManufacturerPhotographerSep 12, 2025
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Nissan says it’s learned a few things about EVs in the 15 years since it introduced the first-generation Leaf: Customers want more range, a seamless user experience that doesn’t ask anything extra of them, and something that’s fun to drive.
We don’t think Nissan would really argue with us if we said that neither the first (circa 2011) nor second-generation Leaf (2018) exhibited those qualities. The Leaf—which was the first mass-market EV to market in the 21st century—couldn’t go particularly far on a charge, could only fast charge on rare CHAdeMO chargers, and didn’t exactly get your pulse going behind the wheel.
The 2026 Nissan Leaf aims to flip that script with more range, a more thoughtful user experience, improved road manners, and less frumpy styling. After our first drive of the new Leaf in and around San Diego, it’s clear that while Nissan has implemented many lessons in the new third-generation Leaf, other aspects remain familiar.
Leaf Spec Overview
Before diving in, it’s worth going over a few key details on what’s going on under its new fastback-SUV-like skin first, including some oddities carried over from previous Leafs. Riding on a variation of the larger Nissan Ariya’s platform, the new Leaf sports larger batteries, more powerful motors, and longer range than the old Leaf, while gaining some weight but losing some interior space in the process.
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Most 2026 Leaf models, such as the loaded Leaf Platinum+ we drove, will be powered by a cleverly packaged permanent magnet motor/single-speed automatic/inverter combination good for 214 hp and 261 lb-ft of torque. That front-mounted motor is fed energy from a 75-kWh battery pack (liquid cooled for the first time in a Leaf) that returns an EPA-estimated 303 miles of combined range in the S+, 288 miles in the mid-level SV+, and 259 miles in the Platinum+—a minimum of 47 miles better than the last generation Leaf. Consider Nissan’s “more range” box checked.
The base Leaf S has a 174 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque motor, paired with a smaller, 52-kWh battery pack. Pricing and range for that model will be announced when it comes to market next year, but until then the Leaf starts from $31,845 to $40,585; our loaded Leaf Platinum+ stickered for $41,930. For what it’s worth, dual-motor all-wheel drive isn’t offered.
Easier (But More Expensive) To Live With
The best Nissans have always had a sense of quirkiness about them, and there are definitely some oddities to be found in the new Leaf, some good, some less so. For starters, the new Leaf comes with dual charge ports, with the flap on the left front fender covering a J1772 port capable of 7.2-kW AC charging for at-home charging, while the one on the right is a NACS port capable of DC fast-charge rates of up to 150 kW.
Although one of the main benefits of NACS is the ability for the same plug to be able to both AC and DC charge, the Leaf’s is incapable of Level 2 charging because of a late design change to re-engineer that port from the larger CCS1 plug to the newly standardized NACS input. Nissan engineers say this functionality will come eventually, but likely not until the Leaf receives a mid-cycle update in three or four years. We expect the Leaf to lose the J1772 plug and move to a single NACS port when this change happens.
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Though you won’t be able to charge overnight with a Tesla-style charger without a NACS to J1772 adapter, you can fast charge at Tesla’s ubiquitous Supercharger stations nationwide, with Nissan claiming at 10 to 80 percent charge time of 35 minutes.
Nissan will provide owners in ZEV states with a complimentary CCS to NACS adapter for fast charging at Electrify America, EVgo, and other stations, while folks in other states will have to pay extra for the adapter. All owners will have what Nissan calls its “premium package” for connectivity for the first year of ownership. This gives owners access to plug-and-charge functionality at Tesla and Electrify America stations, as well as the ability to remotely access functions like charging, locks, or climate in the MyNissan app.
Leaf SV+ and Platinum+ models will also have Google Built-In included in the Leaf’s new phone-mirroring friendly infotainment system. While it’ll certainly make EV life easier for owners due to the system’s trip-planning functions (which include a way to set a desired arrival charge level) and ability to automatically pre-condition the battery pack prior to charging, Google Built-In is only included on higher trim level Leafs for just a year. After that year, owners will have to subscribe to the premium connectivity package if they’d like to continue using all the above features.
The premium connectivity package is currently priced at $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year.
Like the previous Leaf, owners in temperate environments will need to splash more cash for a battery heater to ensure optimal range and charging performance. The $300 option is only available on the Leaf SV+ and Platinum+. That, at least, won’t be subject to any subscription fees.
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More Fun to Drive?
One of Nissan’s goals for the 2026 Leaf was to make it fun to drive, a laudable goal. In addition to giving the car a power boost, it also fit the new one with a multilink rear suspension, new steering rack, new drive modes, and more sound deadening than previous Leafs.
The results are mixed. Previous Leafs weren’t particularly fun to drive, and the 2026 isn’t either. Even the most pedestrian of cars can be fun on winding back roads but the Leaf just isn’t. Despite the shrunken dimensions, revised steering rack, and new rear suspension geometry, the Leaf’s steering is vague and slow to respond to inputs, while the suspension tends to lean into corners and bobble over bumps, introducing secondary and tertiary motions that often devolve into chassis shudder. These motions aren’t hugely obvious to the eye, but you feel them in the pit of your stomach, even while behind the wheel. If your primary drive consists of roads like these, look elsewhere.
It’s not all bad, though.
Like previous versions, if you’re more of an urban or suburban driver, the Leaf makes much, much more sense. At city speeds and on arrow-straight highways, the slow steering doesn’t ask much of the driver and the suspension has an easier time handling impacts when it’s only dealing with vertical loads.
It’s also here where we get to appreciate the new motor. While this Nissan won’t snap your neck back like some other EVs do, it delivers its power linearly in one long surge, slowly tapering off as you approach highway speeds. Around town “get up and go” will have you beating inattentive drivers in traffic, and there’s still adequate passing power on tap for interstates.
Brake pedal feel is also natural, while paddles on the steering wheel allow you to increase or lessen the effects of the car’s regenerative brakes. An “E-Step” button on the dash allows for near-one-pedal driving, but we didn’t like how the brake pedal automatically moves away from your foot in this mode and found it hard to be smooth. Those features, coupled with the noticeably quieter cabin than before, make the 2026 Leaf a nice commuter.
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That’s assuming you’re traveling light. While the new Leaf’s cabin is lovely to look at, features comfortable seats, and serves up an eye-pleasing mix of colors, shapes, and textures, it’s a tight fit if you expect to use the back seats. With two six-footers up front, we found it difficult to comfortably fit a third in the back. The compromise resulted in the front passenger’s knees pressed into the dash and the rear passenger’s into the front seatback.
The rear seats on the loaded Leaf Platinum+ were otherwise well appointed, with heated outboard seats and rear HVAC vents. The fastback hatch reveals a cargo area nearly as large as the old Leaf’s, with underfloor storage and a built-in divider to split the trunk if need be. As with the larger Ariya, the Leaf has no frunk.
Turning Over a New Leaf
While Nissan rightly has much to be proud of with the new Leaf, including the fact it’s currently the cheapest new EV you can buy in the United States, we suspect the 2026 Leaf will share the 2025 model’s struggle against ever-increasing competition.
The wallet-friendly price tag and 300 miles of range are somewhat mitigated by the fact that many must-have features, such as a dynamic route planner and a heat pump are effectively paywalled behind more expensive trim levels. And it’s at that point where shoppers might justifiably start looking across the street at something like a Chevrolet Equinox EV, which offers more range, more space, similar charging performance, and eight years of Google Built-In for a similar price.
Yet for folks looking for an urban runabout, the new 2026 Leaf should be much more pleasant to own than previous versions. It’ll be easy to park, nice to look at, and not ask too much of its owner—at least for the first year.
2026 Nissan Leaf + Specifications
Christian Seabaugh
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
