“I’m going to purchase that.”
That’s what a rideshare driver instructed me after I pulled up within the third-generation Nissan Leaf subsequent to his Mannequin Y at a Supercharger on Staten Island, New York Metropolis’s most distant and often-forgotten borough. Fed up with the stiff journey of his Mannequin Y on town’s bumpy roads, he mentioned he was already eyeing an exit from his Tesla, on the lookout for cheaper, extra comfy alternate options.
It is easy to see why he may discover the Leaf interesting. Its $31,485 beginning worth (together with vacation spot), a most vary of over 300 miles and the Tesla-style charging port impressed him. Once I instructed him that the journey high quality was a league above the outdated Mannequin Y, he was satisfied that the Nissan needs to be his subsequent journey.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
This was considered one of half a dozen conversations I had with EV drivers throughout the week of testing and charging the Leaf. The contemporary design and the press loaner’s turquoise colour meant drivers walked as much as it, clicked photos, peeked inside and threw questions at me.
One dude requested me if I may wait 5 further minutes so he may name his pal and present him the brand new Leaf. (I couldn’t. Sorry, man!)
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Supply: Suvrat Kothari
Earlier than you accuse me of doing the work for Nissan dealerships without cost, hear me out: Speaking to EV drivers at crowded charging stations in America’s largest metropolis has turn out to be considered one of my favourite rituals whereas testing new autos. It serves as a vibe-check for these automobiles and a reminder of what individuals actually care about. Worth, vary and charging speeds are high considerations. However consolation and journey high quality are vital, too.
Rideshare drivers spend lengthy hours of their automobiles, and it nonetheless baffles me that hundreds of them put up with the older Mannequin Y, which rides like a purchasing cart. That is been largely mounted on the new-generation Mannequin Ys, however they don’t seem to be precisely low-cost proper now—except you wish to go for the cheaper, new one which has a worse suspension. Otherwise you store elsewhere.
Like the primary and second technology Leafs, Nissan has positioned the third technology mannequin as a individuals’s automotive, with a beginning worth that’s about $16,000 lower than the typical transaction worth of EVs within the U.S., which was $56,328 in September, in accordance with Cox Automotive. Now reimagined as a crossover, it units a brand new benchmark for inexpensive EVs in America with out reducing corners on issues that matter essentially the most.
After per week behind its wheel, I walked away with 5 issues I admired about it and two issues that bugged me.
(Full Disclosure: Nissan loaned me the 2026 Leaf for per week in New York Metropolis. It arrived with a full cost, and I returned it likewise. It was a pre-production prototype.)
Why I Liked The New Nissan Leaf
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
The primary-generation Leaf was a metropolis automotive with barely over 70 miles of vary. But it surely grew to become iconic as the primary mass manufacturing EV from a significant automaker. Nissan improved the second-generation Leaf, giving it a bigger 62-kilowatt-hour battery for greater than 200 miles of EPA vary.
However Nissan shipped each fashions with the CHAdeMO charging port, a Japanese-developed connector which isn’t as ubiquitous because the CCS or the Tesla-style North American Charging Normal (NACS) ports on this aspect of the planet. It is a format largely being rendered irrelevant quickly. Solely about 8,800 CHAdeMO Degree 2 and DC fast-charging ports stay within the U.S., in accordance with the Various Fuels Knowledge Heart. That critically limits the outdated Leaf’s road-tripping capabilities. By comparability, America has 74,300 Degree 2 and DC fast-charging ports (NACS + CCS) publicly accessible as of writing.
The brand new Leaf will lastly be capable of reap the benefits of this rising community. It will get the Tesla-style NACS port proper from the manufacturing unit for seamless Supercharger entry. The bottom S+ trim has 303 miles of vary, whereas the highest Platinum+ that I drove had 259 miles of vary, which was nonetheless greater than ample.
And it’s extremely environment friendly, sipping electrons as an alternative of gulping them.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
After 300 miles of combined metropolis and freeway driving, the Leaf averaged greater than 3.5 miles per kilowatt-hour. It even nudged as much as 3.9 miles/kWh and would have crossed 4.0 miles/kWh had I not indulged in Sport mode so usually, which sharpened the throttle and delivered the back-shoving acceleration.
Granted, the testing circumstances had been favorable at about 70-80 levels Fahrenheit. In that climate, the 75 kWh pack is mainly residing its greatest life, because the thermal administration system doesn’t must work further laborious to heat the battery up or cool it down.
The actual stress take a look at will come within the useless of winter. However the excellent news is that the Leaf now will get battery preconditioning, which warms (or cools) the pack earlier than plugging in to make sure quicker, extra environment friendly charging. The not-so-good information is that you simply want a $300 battery heater add-on for that, however that needs to be value it should you reside in colder areas.
Aerodynamics additionally performs an enormous position right here. The Leaf’s clean bodywork provides it a drag coefficient of 0.26, proper up there with pricier EVs just like the refreshed Tesla Mannequin Y (0.22) and Mercedes EQS (0.20). That slipperiness pays off on the street. It glides and coasts effortlessly on flat stretches with gentle throttle inputs when regenerative braking is turned off.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
Its single front-axle motor places out 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque. For an EV tipping the scales between 3,955 and 4,369 kilos, relying on gear, the Leaf’s energy output may look modest on paper. But it surely delivered ample verve in the true world.
The torque is sufficient to spin up the entrance tires—Bridgestone Alenzas (235/45 R19)—beneath laborious acceleration like a scorching hatch. Overtakes had been easy, and it stored me forward of visitors.
That curb weight, mixed with a smooth suspension setup, gave it some physique roll by way of corners. But it surely’s progressive and well-controlled, not the sort that makes your passengers attain for the seize handles. The damping stored the automotive composed even when mid-corner bumps tried to upset it. The steering was not chatty in any respect, however felt gentle and exact. And apart from, it is an inexpensive compact EV. Do not anticipate bare athleticism right here. That is not what it is for.
Even at increased 80-85 mph speeds, the Leaf felt planted. The one annoying bit was extreme wind noise across the entrance left door window past 50 mph. Nissan gave me a pre-production prototype, so the ultimate manufacturing models may very well be quieter.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
The Leaf punches effectively above its weight on the subject of inside high quality. Positive, there are examples of cost-cutting right here and there. The door panels are molded from laborious plastic, and the drive selector buttons beneath the infotainment display screen, in addition to the steering wheel controls, really feel low-cost and plasticky.
However Nissan made up for that elsewhere, significantly within the high Platinum+ trim, which begins at $38,990. At that worth, you get a cabin wrapped in soft-touch supplies, plush artificial leather-based seats with energy adjustment, lumbar help, and seat heating.
The ten-speaker Bose system delivered crisp, immersive sound, with audio system even constructed into the headrests. Panoramic glass roof and ambient lighting imply the Leaf’s high trim just about feels upscale.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
It is well-equipped on the tech entrance, too. The Leaf comes with Google in-built on the mid SV+ and the highest Platinum+ trims, full with native Google Maps, which permits route planning and exhibits charging stops alongside your approach.
However even should you skip the pricier trims and go for the bottom mannequin, normal wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto imply you’re not lacking a lot.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
Nissan’s charging port decisions for the brand new Leaf are… completely different. On the entrance proper, you get a NACS port for quick charging solely. On the entrance left, there’s a J1772 port for slower, Degree 2 charging. Some EVs, like these from the Volkswagen Group, provide two charging ports on both aspect for garage-parking comfort. However having two completely different ports like that is unprecedented.
Relying on the place you plug in, you may want a few adapters: a NACS-to-CCS adapter should you’re utilizing a non-Tesla quick charger like Electrify America or ChargePoint, and a NACS-to-J1772 adapter should you high up at a Tesla Wall Connector or vacation spot charger.
I do know it feels like adapter hell. However in actuality, it’s not almost that dramatic.
Throughout my week-long take a look at, I simply ended up utilizing Tesla Superchargers as a result of they’re in all places, dependable and straightforward to make use of. And now that different networks like Ionna are additionally rolling out NACS cables, you’ll be able to skip the quick charging adapter altogether. And should you cost principally at house, you’ll solely want an adapter in case your wall unit occurs to have a NACS plug.
I additionally ran a 20-80% charging take a look at at a V4 Tesla Supercharger stall. The Leaf peaked at its claimed 150 kW (up from 100 kW on the outdated mannequin) and held that charge for a number of minutes earlier than truly fizzling out steadily. On the finish, it added about 170 miles of vary (noticed) in half-hour, proper consistent with Nissan’s claimed 10–80% time of 35 minutes.
So relaxation assured that for many drivers, the charging expertise will probably be higher. The adapters are extra of a just-in-case accent than one thing patrons must fear about every single day.
The place The Leaf Drove Me Nuts
The Leaf’s single wi-fi charging pad is neatly tucked beneath the entrance armrest, securing it from flying round while you’re having enjoyable behind the wheel.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
But it surely’s the worst wi-fi charging pad I’ve utilized in a automotive. Positive, telephones typically get heat as a result of electromagnetic induction on these wi-fi pads, however this one turned my Google Pixel 9 Professional right into a pocket heater whereas barely including any significant share of cost.
That wasn’t it. In only a few minutes of charging, the infotainment system flashed warnings to take away the telephone so Android Auto may perform correctly. After a couple of makes an attempt, I gave up and used a cable, after which the Android Auto connection was additionally extra steady, and spared my telephone from overheating.
Towards the top of my take a look at, wi-fi Android Auto merely gave up. It failed to acknowledge my telephone, forcing me into the identical tedious strategy of re-pairing the telephone by way of the automotive’s display screen.
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
My different beef was with the motive force’s seat, which has a reminiscence perform, however the execution is poor. Each time I received in, the seat rested uncomfortably near the steering wheel, completely different from the place I left it. Fortunately, one faucet of the reminiscence button on the door panel sends it again to your saved place. But it surely’s annoying while you’re in a rush.
2026 Nissan Leaf Verdict: Beneficial
Photograph by: Suvrat Kothari
My complaints are trivial in comparison with how a lot there’s to admire in regards to the new Leaf. At its core, this can be a well-sorted automotive. Its design is just not a carryover job like the brand new Bolt, nor a stripped-down compromise like the brand new Normal trims of the Tesla Mannequin Y or Mannequin 3. The Leaf is new in and out.
The design gained’t win over everybody, however it grew on me. It appears extra cohesive in particular person than it does in photographs, the place it seems bulbous and stubby. The rear, the place the black roof blends into the black liftgate panel, remains to be my least favourite angle, however it’s forgivable.
All mentioned, Nissan understood the project. It seems like a breath of contemporary air amid all of the noise of coverage uncertainty and the top of tax credit. It’s precisely the sort of EV Nissan must regain its mojo, and in addition what the broader EV market must proceed thriving in a post-tax-credit world.
Have a tip? Contact the writer: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
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