Nissan Leaf review
This is no small update, but a wholesale reimagination of Nissan’s C-segment EV for the better. The new Leaf is very, very good, built in Britain and it’s our 2026 Car of the Year!
Our opinion on the Nissan Leaf
The all-new third-generation Nissan Leaf is just as revolutionary as the original, only now it comes with the added pressure of a mature marketplace full of rivals – which makes this adage even more impressive. This is a remarkable package that’s perfectly suited to British drivers, with brilliant electric range and efficiency, great interior tech, a comfortable ride and perhaps most importantly a price that makes it extraordinary value for money. It’s so good, in fact, that we’ve named it our 2026 Auto Express Car of the Year.
About the Nissan Leaf
The all-new third-generation Nissan Leaf is the latest edition of the Japanese company’s trail-blazing all-electric hatchback. Launched in 2026, this new variant is aimed right at the centre of the C-segment, or family hatchback class, and competes with cars such as the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, Kia EV3, Renault Megane E-Tech and the MG4.
This puts it in a tough position, with lots of worthy rivals all vying for a share of the rapidly growing market. To tackle this, Nissan started from scratch on this all-new generation – and its investment appears to be paying off.
That’s because the Mk3 Leaf is a totally different proposition to the one that came before. It now rides on a bespoke BEV platform, and rather than taking the shape of a traditional Volkswagen Golf-like hatchback, it now features a crossover-like fastback body. The Nissan also comes with a far more impressive range figure, plenty of space inside and cutting-edge technology.
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Best of all, thanks to a little help from the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant, the Leaf is extraordinary value for money. Starting at less than £29,000 for the 52kWh powertrain, and only jumping up to £32,249 for the 75kWh option with its 386-mile range. This isn’t just a technically impressive car, but one that could promise to save British drivers thousands compared with the traditional petrol or diesel alternative.
Nissan Leaf pricing and latest deals
The Nissan Leaf is amongst a growing number of electric cars to meet the criteria required for the full £3,750 discount as part of the Government's Electric Car Grant (ECG), announced in July 2025, thanks to part of its electric powertrain being manufactured in the UK.
Pricing for the Leaf starts at just over £32,000 for the entry-level Engage. Our preferred Engage+ is a little over £33,000, while the Advance trim is around £34,000. The top-of-the-range Evolve comes in at just over £36,000.
Performance & driving experience
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It’s clear that Nissan did not need to set out to build a high performance or fun-to-drive EV, and on those counts it has certainly succeeded. Yet this makes the Leaf feel much more in tune with its key buying demographic: those looking for a calm, comfortable and confidence-inspiring electric car driving experience.
Outright performance from our 75kWh model is more than enough in day-to-day driving, but more impressive is the throttle calibration and smoothness. There’s nothing jerky or too urgent about the front-mounted e-motor’s acceleration, which will cleanly apply power without a chirp from the tyres, even in Sports mode.
The ride quality is even more impressive, the Leaf makes soft and cossetting progress without feeling too underdamped, and it has plenty of suspension travel to deal with big bumps. By comparison, an ID.3 feels a little bouncy, and while a Kia EV3 feels more connected to the road, it lacks the polish and bump isolation that the Leaf offers.
Overall refinement is also excellent. There are good levels of sound deadening from road roar and very little wind noise, with the exception of the wing mirror’s tendency to whip up a bit of a racket.
Over really rough Belgian pavé, the body remained free of creaks and rattles, making the whole car feel solid and strong. We only had a small amount of time at motorway speeds, but the Leaf seemed very stable and confidence-inspiring, although hard cornering did see a fair bit of body roll, as you’d expect from a car with such a plush ride.
Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
Nissan quotes a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds for the 75kWh model and that feels about right in the real world. With 215bhp and a hefty battery pack, the Leaf wasn’t likely to be a surprise hot-rod, but it gives the model enough performance to never feel like it’s struggling to keep up with traffic. Top speed is limited to 100mph.
The 52kWh variant is a little more sluggish, at 8.6 seconds due to its 41bhp power deficit, but its smaller and therefore lighter battery makes it feel a touch more agile in the bends.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Nissan Leaf standard-range | 174bhp | 8.6 seconds | 100mph |
| Nissan Leaf long-range | 215bhp | 7.6 seconds | 100mph |
“Over cobbled streets, the body remained free of creaks and rattles, making the whole car feel solid and strong” – Jordan Katsianis, senior staff writer.
Range, charging & running costs
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We’re finally starting to see some real progress with low-cost EVs in terms of range, and the new Nissan Leaf is no exception. Nissan offers two battery packs, both of which feel nicely rationalised to give customers different electric car propositions depending on their needs.
The first option is the base 52kWh setup that has a good range figure of around 270 miles on the WLTP cycle. Nissan says this model has been created to offer customers in more urban environments a good balance between range and cost, while also being more efficient thanks to its lighter battery pack.
The long-range variant has a slightly different mandate, with high motorway mileage being the key aim. As such, its battery pack is enlarged to 75kWh, giving this relatively small EV a comparatively big range of up to 386 miles. Larger wheels can have an effect, but the WLTP figure never drops below 368 miles. Nissan has also gone to great lengths to extensively test the car’s high-speed efficiency, giving us a self-verified high-speed range of nearly 270 miles at an average speed of 70mph.
| Model | Range | Peak DC charging | Insurance group |
| Nissan Leaf standard-range | 280 miles | 105kW | 31 |
| Nissan Leaf long-range | 375 miles | 150kW | 33 |
Electric range, battery life and charge time
Nissan has been keen to emphasise the Leaf’s impressive efficiency in the real world, and we can confirm it is indeed impressive. Being based on a pure-electric platform, rather than one adapted from an ICE car like previous Leaf generations, the car’s efficiency is better than most key rivals.
Factors such as battery life are tricky to ascertain at this stage, but the usual battery life safeguards apply, like only charging to 100 per cent when required and making the most of the car’s on-board navigation system to precondition the battery before a fast charge. Nissan quotes a peak DC charging rate of 105kW for the 52kWh battery and 150kW for the 75kWh battery. These different speeds mean that both models are able to charge from around 20 to 80 per cent in under 30 minutes, which is around average for this class.
While the range figures are now much more impressive than for the previous Nissan Leaf models, the new car arrives at a time when rivals are also upping their game. Top spec versions of direct competitors, like the VW ID.3 or Kia EV3 are capable of similar ranges in the high 300-mile region but have more variety in terms of battery sizes.
To get an accurate valuation on a Nissan Leaf check out our free car valuation tool...
Interior, design & technology
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Nissan’s gone for a practical, efficient and tech-forward look for the new Leaf, leaving superfluous design elements largely off the table. While it probably won’t win the Red Dot award for car interiors, it is quick and easy to figure out, even with the large screens and relative lack of physical controls.
Crucially, the key elements are there, including a physical volume knob, physical buttons on the steering wheel and few climate and infotainment controls separated from the main displays. However, some of these are touch sensitive panels rather than buttons, which some might find irritating.
The driving position is higher than before, and ensures the top-edge of the display screens don’t sit higher than the base of the windscreen. This is good for outward visibility, especially up front.
So while the interior isn’t particularly plush or luxurious, the plastics do feel hardy and robust. They should stand up to daily use without any issue. The light-coloured seats of the top-spec model we tested feel comfortable and supportive, and together with the clever electrochromic glass roof, also make the cabin feel light, airy and modern.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
All Nissan Leafs, aside from the entry-level Engage model, feature a pair of 14-inch screens, both fitted with a substantially refreshed user interface underpinned by Google software. This is excellent news for users, as the embedded navigation system is founded on the huge dataset available through the tech giant’s Google Maps product. Traffic, parking and places of interest information is all featured.
Charging locations are also included and, thanks to over-the-air updates, this info is constantly improved over time to keep the system up to date with new infrastructure. The navigation tech is capable of intelligent route planning, taking into account things like the ambient temperature, inclines and even the efficiency of different public charging networks in different countries to estimate journey times. This will be especially useful for European road trips.
The system is able to update the route planner actively depending on traffic conditions, and will even re-route you to a different charging station if all the points are taken at the next planned stop. The maps are also able to be viewed on the driver’s display, leaving the main screen free for other uses.
Functionality across the rest of the infotainment system is also great, with clear and simple menu structures, big icons and quick responses. The ‘home’ screen is configurable to show the information of your choice, and even comes with different themes, including one that adjusts to the time of day.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard alongside wireless charging, but we’re now at a point where the embedded system is more than good enough for owners not to need those phone-mirroring systems.
The air-conditioning is controlled either through a panel of touch sensitive controls or the display that shows the settings at all times in a fixed bar. Inputs like changing the temperature or fan speed are quick to make as a result.
Another nice touch are the forward and back keys in the centre console, which also features a mute and volume knob that’s quick and easy to find. It definitely feels like a car designed around feedback on how consumers actually use their cars, rather than one that pushes drivers to use it in a certain way. Other bits, like the easy shortcuts to select a personalised ADAS driver assistance setup with just a quick press of two buttons on the steering wheel, and the ability to control both screens directly from the wheel are further evidence of this.
Boot space & practicality
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This third generation of Nissan Leaf might look like it sits in a brand new market sector thanks to its sleek profile and high stance, but it still effectively operates in the same C-segment as its predecessors. This puts it up against rivals like the VW ID.3, our 2025 Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq and Kia’s EV3.
The difference to these alternatives is that rather than an upright, boxy silhouette, Nissan has gone for a sloping rear end for both aesthetic and practical reasons. The impact of this is arguably most obvious inside the cabin, or more specifically when you open the tailgate.
Dimensions and size
At just over 4.4m long, the Nissan Leaf is only just longer than rivals like the VW ID.3 and Kia EV3. In fact, the Leaf looks quite a bit bigger than it actually is in pictures – quite a rare thing for modern EVs which usually create the opposite effect.
This makes it ideal for town driving, however the sloping roofline does create a few compromises in terms of luggage space compared to boxier rivals.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | Nissan Leaf | Kia EV3 | Skoda Elroq |
| Length | 4,350mm | 4,300mm | 4,488mm |
| Width | 1,810mm (2,098mm inc mirrors) | 1,850mm | 1,884mm (2,148mm inc mirrors) |
| Height | 1,550mm | 1,560mm | 1,625mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,690mm | 2,680mm | 2,765mm |
| Boot space | 437 - 1,052 litres | 460 - 1,250 litres (plus 25 litre front boot) | 470 - 1,580 litres |
Boot space
The Nissan Leaf’s sloping roof is most evident in the boot. Although the space below the parcel shelf is a class-competitive 437 litres, the tailgate glass can get in the way if you need to fit bulkier items, like a chest of draws or something like that, inside.
Reliability & safety
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Still being in its final prototype phase, we’re unable to say anything definitive about the new Leaf’s reliability, but we expect that its safety score will be towards the top of the class thanks to plenty of standard safety assistance technology.
It also includes a full ADAS suite, which can easily be personalised to the driver’s preferred settings. However, Nissan’s three-year 80,000-mile warranty is only average in 2025, although it does have a longer eight years of coverage for the battery and its electrical components.
Buying and owning
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Best buy: Nissan Leaf 75kWh Advance trim
Nissan has launched the Leaf in four grades: Engage, Engage+, Advance and Evolve, only two of which are available on the smaller 52kWh model, and all four being available on the 75kWh. While the entry-level Engage model hits with its headline price points, the jump to Engage+ costs just £900, and brings with it the full Google-backed infotainment screen setup, heated seats and steering wheel, folding mirrors and wireless charging.
However, in terms of pure value, we’d suggest the Advance is the sweet spot in the range for another £1,100, because it brings with it an electrochromic roof, synthetic leather trim, a powered tailgate, fancier exterior LED lighting and a head-up display. Beyond this point, the top-spec Evolve adds larger wheels, massaging seats and a BOSE sound system, but it’s at this point the £2,000 price jump feels big.
We’d suggest that in order to make full use of the Leaf’s impressive efficiency and standard equipment, the 75kWh variant is the one to go for; and if you can stretch to the Advance trim, it’s a worthwhile jump. The 52kWh variant is a price leader, though, so if your B-segment BEV hatchback is creeping up in price, the Leaf can make a good-value alternative.
Alternatives
Compared with almost all of its key rivals, the Leaf has the numbers. Model for model it undercuts competitors such as the Volkswagen ID.3, Kia EV3 and Hyundai Kona Electric, while also improving on range and offering plenty of kit. Chinese rivals, such as the MG4 are cheaper, but none offer the range or tech of Nissan’s new star.
Yet the new Leaf doesn’t just appeal on value alone, because it’s also an extremely impressive all-round package in its own right. There’s a brilliant sense of cohesion to the package that is rare in this class, and while it’s not the most visceral car to drive, it’s extremely competent yet still interesting enough to draw a glance back in the car park. We rate the new Nissan Leaf very highly, which is why it’s our 2026 Auto Express Car of the Year.
Great leasing deals on the Nissan Leaf's rivals
Skoda Elroq
KIA EV3
Nissan Leaf pictures
Frequently Asked Questions
The Nissan Leaf is a great car, and is competitive against all key rivals
