Back in 2010, when Tesla was a fledgling EV company, Nissan launched the first mass-produced electric car and gave it a suitably environmentally conscious name: the Nissan Leaf. It was named World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year, becoming the car that led the way for so many other EVs to follow.
How things might have been for Nissan if it had taken advantage of that car’s early success – we could be talking about Nissan as an EV leader, rather than the follower that it has become. The second-generation Leaf in 2018 lacked the original’s groundbreaking thinking and was merely an also-ran in a rapidly expanding market.
Now, fifteen years after the original, the third generation of Leaf has been revealed, with a completely expected twist. Like so many other new models, the Leaf is no longer a hatchback, but a crossover SUV.
These days, Nissan relies on Alliance partner Renault for much of its EV tech – how the mighty have fallen. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though – the Renault Scenic, which shares its AMPR Medium platform with the new Leaf (Nissan calls the platform CMF-EV), is one of our favourite family-friendly EVs.
Also sharing the same tech is Nissan’s bigger EV, the Ariya – an easily forgotten SUV that’s overshadowed by its Renault sibling. So, the new Leaf sits beneath the Ariya and above the new all-electric Micra in Nissan’s new EV range with prices for the Leaf that we reckon will start just below the £30,000 mark and potentially go up to around £40,000.
Dipping into the Renault/Nissan Alliance toy box means there’s a choice of two batteries: a 52kWh unit that promises a maximum claimed range of 270 miles and a 75kWh battery with an impressive potential of 375 miles.
Even on the motorway, where EVs aren’t exactly at their most efficient, Nissan claims that the bigger battery Leaf will be able to drive for more than 205 miles. That’s more than enough for the average bladder.
There’s fast charging at speeds up to 150kW in the 75kWh car, which can add up to 260 miles in 30 minutes.
Those decent range figures are thanks, in no small part, to the new Leaf’s excellent aerodynamics with its slippery shape bring a low drag coefficient of just 0.25.
The design is just about the only thing that’s not done in the UK. As a global car, the Leaf was designed in Japan, but much of the engineering work for European cars was done at Nissan’s engineering centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the car will be built at Nissan’s mega-factory in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
The tear-shape design looks futuristic on the outside, with plenty of clever touches that improve aerodynamics and add a sense of style. Like on the Micra, there are nods to the Nissan name – which mean “two, three” in Japanese – with two horizontal and three vertical lines featuring in the tail lights and on the charging port on the side of the car.
Flush door handles smooth the side of the car with the rear door handles hidden next to the car’s rear door pillar. The underside of the car is nearly completely flat, but the lack of a rear wiper to boost the aerodynamics may bother some owners in cold and wet weather.
Nissan has borrowed some Renault tech inside, with the infotainment system being Google Android-powered and featuring Google tech built in. The twin 14in screens look good, with a very horizontal look to the dashboard that features separate buttons for heating and ventilation controls, with gear selector buttons and controls for the various drive modes and e-pedal driving (although the Leaf won’t slow to a complete stop) lower down.
There’s a gap beneath the dash that gives the front cabin an airy feel, but there are two drop-down storage spaces, one in the centre and one as a more traditional glove box. There are a couple of sizeable cup holders between the front seats, with a single wireless phone charger just in front of the armrest.
The twin-spoke steering wheel features plenty of easy-to-use controls, while top-spec Evolve models also get a head-up display. Other trim levels include entry-level Engage, then Engage Plus followed by Advance and Evolve. The latter gets a natty panoramic sunroof, which – like the Scenic – features an electrochromic sunshade, but this time with the word Leaf subtly embossed in it.
The latest incarnation of Nissan’s ProPilot autonomous driving tech is available along with an updated Around View Monitor and the usual driver assistance features. There’s also a Bose premium audio system, while speakers in the driver’s headrest give navigation and phone announcements to avoid disturbing other passengers.
There’s also V2L Vehicle to Load tech that will enable you to power home appliances from the Leaf, while V2G Vehicle to Grid functionality will be available eventually that will power your home or send energy back to the grid.
Nissan says there’s 80mm more legroom and 40mm more shoulder room in the back of the new Leaf than there was in the old one – we’d describe it as enough space, rather than generous room. There’s the Ariya if you need more. The Leaf’s boot is a reasonable size and shape, offering 437 litres of space.
Official pricing and specifications will be revealed in the Autumn when orders open for the new Leaf, with first deliveries coming after the new electric Micra in the Spring of 2026.
