First Drive: Turning Over a New (Nissan) Leaf

Few vehicles have had a more immediate impact on the U.S. automotive market since the turn of the Millennium, even though Nissan Leaf has slipped into relative obscurity in an increasingly crowded EV segment. Can it regain its early luster? That’s what the Japanese automaker hopes as it rolls out an all-new 2026 Nissan Leaf offering a new crossover design, improved performance, substantially better range and plenty of other reasons to check it out. Add a surprisingly affordable price according to this Headlight.News review.

The pioneer of the battery-electric vehicle market is back. No, the Nissan Leaf didn’t go away, it just might as well have considering Americans purchased just 7,582 of them in 2024, barely an asterisk on the chart when total U.S. EV sales grew to 1.3 million, an all-time record.

The coming model year brings the introduction of a third-generation Leaf, though the update brought back in 2019 was far from the sort of makeover needed. That’s why the arrival of th 2026 Nissan Leaf is s significant. Yes, it’s still an EV, but pretty much everything about it is new, and that’s mostly for the better.

Nissan has certainly addressed all of the old Leaf’s big weaknesses — a clunky design, mediocre performance and handling, limited range and slow charging – while adding solid new features and delivering it all at an affordable price. How did it fare on the road? Headlight.News headed to San Diego for a first drive. Here’s our review.

What’s new for 2026

The big question isn’t what’s new for 2026, but what isn’t? This is the true ground-up makeover and perhaps only the format of using a single-motor, front-wheel-drive powertrain carries over. The powertrain itself is all new, delivering substantially more power and range of up to 303 miles per charge. That’s about four times more than what Leaf offered during its debut 2011 model year. Charging is quicker and now can be done directly at Tesla Supercharger stations with Leaf switching over to the NACS charger port.

The most immediate difference, of course, is the shift to a more crossover-like body style, abandoning the dated hatchback styling of the prior two generations. Under the skin, there’s an all-new skateboard-style platform. The original Leaf shared its architecture with Nissan’s gas-powered line-up, an inherent compromise that reduced cabin and cargo space.

Add some welcome new technology, including the Google built-in infotainment system, an electrochromic moonroof and a Bose audio system. Then, give it a starting price of $29,990, making the 2026 Nissan Leaf one of the most affordable battery-electric vehicles available in the U.S., especially considering all you got on even the base S+ model.

A substantially updated powertrain

At its 2011 introduction, the original Nissan Leaf was an impressive work of engineering. It’s a museum piece today. The 2026 EV stands up well in today’s market, the powertrain being the critical factor.

As noted, Leaf retains a single-motor, front-drive layout. But power increases to as much as 214 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Compare that to the numbers for the Hyundai Kona EV, a direct competitor, making 201 hp and 188 lb-ft.

Once all variants are available, the 2026 Leaf will offer buyers a choice of 75 or 52 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery packs. For now, however, only the larger option is available, with longer-range models designated with a “+” as in the base S+ getting 303 miles per charge. The heavier, more tech-dense Platinum+ drops to 259 miles.

Nissan hasn’t released many details about the standard-range models, including range. It did note, however, that the single front motor will be reduced to a peak 174 hp.

More Nissan News

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Driving Impressions

When trying to apply some lipstick to the first-gen Leaf’s performance, Nissan officials liked to point to how quick it was from 0-30 mph. Getting up to 60 was another matter. While I wasn’t able to run tests on the launch times of the 2026 Leaf – nor has Nissan provided numbers – it appeared to be competitive with the Kona EV’s 7.1-second performance.

While nowhere near the sportiest of EVs, Leaf held its own, whether launching from a stop sign or entering San Diego’s fast-moving I-5 freeway. It also had plenty of power to handle the rolling hills leading into the San Jacinto Mountains where I spent much of my drive time.

One of the things I immediately appreciated was Leaf’s new 4-link independent front suspension. It yielded significant improvements in both ride and handling, which I appreciated by the time I got up to the old mining town of Jerome. Again, no sports car this, but Leaf was able to handle the route’s tight and twisty roads with aplomb. Credit also goes to the revised electric rack-and-pinion steering system. It delivers a nicely weighted touch, though road feel is a bit numb.

Overall, the 2026 Nissan Leaf retained its poise without much effort. It proved reasonably good at soaking up bumps and I found the cabin to be quieter than some of the other low-price EVs now available.

Where’s the One-Pedal?

One of the things I truly enjoy about driving an EV is regenerative braking. Rather than scrub off speed through friction brakes, energy normally lost during braking and coasting is recaptured and sent back to the lithium-ion pack to extend range. The 2026 Leaf offers the ability to move through four levels of regen using paddle-shifters. If you prefer, there’s a button on the IP for the most aggressive level.

It’s not just for the benefit of extended range that I like regenerative braking, however. It functions much like what happens when a sports car driver downshifts going into a corner. In the most aggressive mode, Leaf’s regen allowed me to speed up or slow down simply by modulating the throttle. I seldom had to tap the brake pedal.

The curious thing, though, was Nissan’s decision not to drop the One-Pedal Mode found on the two earlier generations of Leaf. An increasingly common feature, One-Pedal allows the vehicle to slow all the way to a complete stop without using the brake. On my own EV I always drive with this feature on and find I use its brakes less than half as often as I do on comparable gas vehicles.

The Nissan team available for the first drive in San Diego blamed decision-makers in Japan. They also tended to agree dropping On-Pedal was a mistake. They hope HQ will reverse course and, the good news, the feature likely could be added back remotely, using Leaf’s smartphone-style over-the-air update capabilities.

Faster, easier charging

In an odd coincidence, lithium-ion batteries and humans like similar climates, the chemistry most efficient in the 70-degree range. The original Nissan Leaf’s pack was air-cooled, however, leaving it at the mercy of the elements which could not only reduce range at various times, but slow charging and limit battery life. For 2026, Nissan introduces a new climatization system designed to generally stabilize temperatures and then, when it’s time to charge, heat or cool the pack to the optimum.

That makes it possible, with a DC quick charger of at least 150 kW to go from a 10 to 80% state-of-charge in as little as 35 minutes. Nissan hasn’t yet confirmed times with a 240-volt Level 2 home charger but we expect that to take around 8 hours at most households.

Significantly, the 2026 Nissan Leaf has traded out the old CCS charger port for the Tesla-based NACS design, making it possible to plug into the vast Supercharger network. An easy-to-use adaptor is tucked away for use at the many CCS-equipped stations. Leaf actually has two charger ports, the second J1772 connector used for the home chargers Nissan has offered with past Leaf editions.

Design makeover

Until now, Nissan has placed its charger ports in the nose of the EV. For 2026, the NACS port moves to the left fender, the J1772 to the right. In turn, Nissan designers were able to shorten the front overhang and reduce Leaf’s overall length by three inches, to roughly 173 inches. Height is cut 0.4 inches, to 61,3, with the wheelbase now at 105.9 inches. Width does grow a slight 0.8 inches, to 82.6.

What’s more readily apparent, of course, is Leaf’s new design. While not a true crossover, the look is a lot more in sync with modern tastes than the old EV, with its many quirky details. There remains a hatch which provides easy cargo access.

There are still a few quirks, though ones I came to appreciate, starting with the 2+3 pattern of the rear lighting. Turns out the name of the automaker in Japan translates as 2, 3, or Ni, San in Japanese. The same pattern is used in a variety of Easter eggs tucked around the new Leaf.

Roomier, more modern interior

Pushing past the numbers, the optimized EV platform provides notably more space for up to 5 passengers, and a peak 55 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat down.

To maximize headroom, Nissan has given Leaf a shadeless moonroof. On the Platinum+ package, it can be dimmed with a touch of a button. Sadly, the automaker decided to not make this electrochromic feature available on the S+ or SV+ trims.

The overall appearance of the cabin is more refined than before, though there’s still a lot of plastic. The instrument panel features a 14.3-inch gauge cluster and, on high-trim packages, a 14.3 infotainment display. It’s 9 inches on the base model. To its credit, Nissan provides manual controls for volume and key climate settings, rather than forcing everything onto the touchscreen.

Updated technology

All Leaf models now feature wireless versions of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 10-speaker premium Bose audio system. A head-up display comes standard with the Platinum+ model.

Significant move sees Nissan migrate to the Google built-in operating system which, among other things, enables real-time navigation updates. This also provides access to the Google Assistant voice valet. Among other things, drivers can remotely access home automation features so they could, for example, turn on lights while commuting home. Unfortunately, there’s no Amazon Alexa, considering the popularity of that system.

Looking for something to do while using a public charger? The new Leaf allows you to stream services like Netflix and HBO if you have a subscription.

There are plenty of advanced driver assistance systems in the standard Nissan Safety Shield 360 system, such as emergency auto braking and lane departure warnings.

Final thoughts, pricing and availability

As the pioneer in the space, many EV fans have been disappointed by Nissan’s failure to keep the Leaf competitive amongst a rapidly expanding group of competitors. That’s finally happened and, for the most part, the automaker has succeeded with the 2026 makeover. Sure, there are some shortfalls, like the lack of One-Pedal. But, on the whole, this is the vehicle it needs to be – especially factoring in its price.

The 2026 Nissan Leaf S+ carries an MSRP of $29,990; the SV+ starting at $34,230. For the all but fully loaded Leaf Platinum+ the figure jumps to $38,990. To all these figures add $1,495 in delivery fees.

The first of the 2026 Leaf+ models are just starting to roll into U.S. ports and should be available for delivery in the coming month, officials said. Expect the standard-range models to arrive something next year.