Nissan Leaf: The pioneer wants to reclaim its crown (at a reasonable price)

The Nissan Leaf was the first mainstream electric car in history. Introduced in 2010 and marketed from 2011The Leaf quickly became the world's best-selling electric car until the emergence of Tesla and Chinese electric vehicles. In 2017 Nissan introduced a second generation of the Leaf, which despite being better than its predecessor, did not monopolize the market as its predecessor had done.

Fifteen years after its launch and with more than 700,000 units sold, Nissan returns to the fray with the presentation of the third generation of the Leaf, which promises to be more efficient, technologically advanced, and rational than ever. Built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance's CMF-EV platform, the new Leaf promises ranges of up to 622 kilometers and a charging capacity of 20% to 80% (i.e., around 420 kilometers) in just half an hour at a charging point with up to 150 kW of power, and at a reasonable price4.0 (promotional discounts and institutional aid aside). This reasonable price—which does not mean cheap—positions it as a general-purpose vehicle with notable performance and a relationship between quality, autonomy, performance, and price that makes acquiring it not a huge mistake. In fact, the new Leaf will cost roughly the same as one Qashqai and less than one X-Trail, to give two examples of models with combustion engines from the same brand.

At first glance, we can see that the Leaf has once again opted for a bold, futuristic aesthetic, distinct from the design of the rest of the models in the Nissan range, with a functional body that features a very good drag coefficient of 0.25 and that allows for savings and extends the car's real-world range.

The new Leaf opts for a body crossover, halfway between a conventional passenger car and an SUV, more visually and forcefully than previous generations, with which it maintains no stylistic continuity. Every detail of the car has been designed to present the lowest possible air resistance, with solutions such as the handles integrated into the bodywork and not protruding, the presence of lines and spoilers on the front, and the aerodynamic wheels, among others. But perhaps the most surprising detail of this third generation is the rear light signature, with headlights that allow three-dimensional illumination, in addition to the panoramic roof that can be darkened at the touch of a button and allows for more economical use than the conventional retractable roof system, which reduces fuel consumption and improves interior space.

Specifically, the interiors of the new Leaf aim to be more rational and ergonomic than ever, dominated by two screens of up to 14.3 inches that have the NissanConnect system with integrated Google tools (Maps, Google Assistant and Play Store) in addition to various applications such as YouTube or Spotify, among others.

Discreet and functional mechanics

The new Leaf leverages the CMF-EV platform already used by the Nissan Ariya With two power levels (177 and 218 hp) and two battery options, with 52 and 75 kWh capacities, and approved ranges of between 445 and 622 kilometers, it's one of the models with the longest range on the market. In fact, it's surprising that the Leaf promises a fuel consumption of just 13.8 kWh/100 km, a figure significantly lower than other models in its segment.

The third-generation Leaf, which will be manufactured at Nissan's plant in Sunderland, England, aims to be rational and honest, and respond to a market that is much more mature and prepared for electric cars than the one it found when it debuted fifteen years ago. It is true that Nissan will also offer versions with more equipment, which will be called Advance and Evolve and which will include details such as seats and steering wheel with built-in heating, leather upholstery, seats with massage function, a system of information projection on the windshield or head-up display, as well as electric closing of the trunk door, among others.

The first units of the new Leaf will arrive in our market in early 2026, at a base price of €38,400, which will likely end up close to €30,000 after applying institutional subsidies and the brand's promotional discounts. All of this makes this model a strong option in the compact electric segment.