The new Leaf has 214 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Nissan needs a win, and the new Leaf might be the car that gives them one.
When the previous generation showed up in 2018, it was already outdated, barely able to muster 250 kilometres of range from its 40-kilowatt-hour battery, and that was in the summer. The Tesla Model 3 Long Range was capable of 500 km on a single charge and could charge as fast as 250 kW. The Leaf was limited to 50 kW, and its CHAdeMO plug wasn’t as common as CCS or the Tesla NACS, limiting where it could be charged.
The Leaf was one of the first mass-produced electric cars to gain traction with buyers when it first went on sale in 2011 and, over time, developed a loyal following. Nissan was an electric vehicle pioneer and had a head start in the race, but the technology and competition progressed rapidly and the Leaf fell behind brands such as Hyundai and General Motors that introduced full lineups of electric cars.
The 2026 Leaf is a complete rethink, sharing nothing in common with the last one except for the name. It starts with a new compact crossover body that’s wider and taller but a bit shorter than the previous car and there’s more space inside thanks to clever packaging, with enough room to seat four adults comfortably.
Nissan wanted the interior and its materials, many of which are sustainably sourced, to exude quality.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
There is more space inside the new leaf, with space for two adults to ride comfortably in the back.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
“A lot of the technology is improved,” says Darren Chung, senior product planner at Nissan Canada. “The Google system has the charging networks built in and with the new plug and charge feature, you never have to pull out your phone or your wallet to charge the car.”
The new Leaf gets Plug and Charge technology and a standard NACS port, which isn’t available on its main competitors, the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro EV, according to Nissan. This means direct plug and charge access to more than 15,000 Tesla Supercharger stalls across North America, thanks to the Leaf’s standard NACS port and another 25,000 ports from other providers. This alone is an excellent reason to consider one.
With Plug and Charge, you input your credit card information into the My Nissan app once and then you can pull up to most DC fast charging stations, plug in and start charging immediately without having to fumble through third-party apps or credit cards.
The new shape is more aerodynamic with a drag coefficient of 0.26 (down from 0.29).Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The new Leaf has a standard NACS port and the place to press to open has the three and two stripes.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
“Whatever is in the Nissan Energy Charge Network, you just plug it in and it’s charging,” says Chung.
Buyers won’t have to contend with slow 50-kW DC charging speeds either, as the new 75-kWh battery can charge three times faster, up to 150 kW, which most Tesla chargers are capable of. That means a 10-to 80-per-cent top-up in about 35 minutes, faster than the Kona and Niro.
Range has increased significantly to 488 kilometres for the base model and up to 463 km for the mid-grade SV plus trim we were provided to test.
Nissan says the Leaf was tested extensively in Canada to make sure it was up to the task of maintaining its performance through cold winters. Range figures, they say, are real-world numbers and easily repeatable.
After logging more than 400 spirited kilometres over the course of two days, the Leaf still had 20 per cent left in its battery pack, making good on Nissan’s claims. I spent most of the drive in Sport Mode, putting the Leaf through its paces on the cold, rain-soaked roads running through Prince Edward County. With 214 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque from a single electric motor spinning the front axle, the Leaf has more than enough power to push you back into your seat. And with a multi-link rear suspension and responsive steering, it’s genuinely fun to toss about on twisty roads – a big improvement in that respect from the last one.
It also looks good, a mashup between a hatchback and a crossover, similar to the recent crop of compact EVs, which are blurring the lines between cars and SUVs. The new shape is more aerodynamic with a drag coefficient of 0.26 (down from 0.29), helped by features such as active grille shutters on the front bumper and flush-mounted door handles that retract into the body when you walk away from the vehicle.
The shape is of a compact crossover, a popular segment these days, and the stripes carry over to the wheels.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Nissan says that a smaller 53-kWh battery version is coming, but there’s no word on when or its price point, which should be less than the current starting price of $44,998, which includes plug and charge tech and a 360-degree camera system. The mid-tier “SV plus” that we tested will come in at $47,998 and the range-topping platinum is $52,798, its special attraction being an electrically shaded sunroof. Sadly, the Leaf isn’t the start of a new wave of affordable EVs; rather, it’s been priced to compete directly with the Kona EV.
Chung points out all the new Nissan iconography hidden throughout the cabin, two horizontal stripes followed by three vertical stripes, representing the numbers two and three, or Ni-San, in Japanese. I found a few quite easily, but many were hidden, such as the ones under the vents and on the turn signal stalk. You’d probably keep finding them a year later. Chung says it’s representative of the passion Nissan engineers and designers put into this car.
Nissan iconography continues on the taillights with two horizontal stripes followed by three vertical stripes.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
“A lot of feedback from the previous generation Leafs and also from the Ariya has been applied to this vehicle,” says Chung.
The company wanted the interior and its materials, many of which are sustainably sourced, to exude quality. My favourite part is the simplicity of the controls and the minimal guesswork needed to get in and go for a drive.
I feel it could be cheaper, but the price point it sits at means it’s still one of the lowest-priced EVs you can buy in Canada and with a new slate of tech that makes sense for a vehicle that was once a pioneer in the industry.
The 2026 Leaf is on sale now.
The trunk on the Leaf has a lot of space for a small car.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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