First Drive of the 2026 Nissan LEAF

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Nissan was the first automaker to deliver an affordable production electric vehicle to the US market. For 2026, the LEAF has been given a full facelift from the inside out.

Nissan invited CleanTechnica out to San Diego, California, to be some of the first people in the world to drive the new 2026 Nissan LEAF.

Disclaimer: Nissan paid for the author’s travel and accommodations to attend this event.

Exterior

Right out of the gate, the bright blue 2026 Nissan LEAF makes it clear that it isn’t trying to fit in. Its new exterior lines are all about aerodynamics. The nose has been blunted with a swept back look that wraps up over the sleek grille all the way back up and over the vehicle.

Taking it in from the side, a design line emerges that sweeps back from the fender up and over the roof of the vehicle. Along the way, it picks up two prominent roof rails that look to be designed for roof rack attachments. These rails are exclusive to the PLAT+ trim package.

At the rear of the vehicle, an integrated spoiler on the hatchback helps the air sweeping over the vehicle to separate from the vehicle. The rear hatch pulls forward classic Nissan 300 ZX styling with a set of retro LED brake lights with a hidden easter egg.

On either side, a pair of horizontal lights accompanies three vertical stripes. The numbers 2 and 3, “ni” (に) and “san” (さん) in Japanese, combine to sound like the brand’s name, “ni-san” (ニッサン). Translation and characters courtesy of Google. It’s a fun design touch that’s featured throughout the new LEAF.

Efficiency

The smooth grille, clean lines, and integrated spoiler aren’t just there for looks, they are also key elements of the LEAF’s aerodynamics. Nissan’s team clearly put a ton of work into streamlining the new design, which translates in the real world to a coefficient of drag improvement from 0.29 in the gen-2 LEAF to 0.26 on the new 2026 Nissan LEAF.

Aerodynamics are more than just wind tunnel stunts and bragging rights, as they translate directly to more miles per kilowatt-hour. The real trick for electric vehicles is optimizing aerodynamics while maintaining an attractive design. The top tier PLAT+ trim we drove features a maximum range of 259 miles from the 75 kWh battery.

Stepping down in the trim packages, you can increase the available range from the 259 miles in the PLAT+ to an impressive 303 miles of range per charge in the mid-tier S+. It’s somewhat counterintuitive that range drops in the higher trims, but that’s the reality of adding sexier rims and more gadgets to the vehicle.

Nissan also plans to offer a 52 kWh battery with its LEAF S trim in the future with an estimated range 196 miles per charge though the timing and cost have yet to be finalized.

Interior

The interior of the 2026 Nissan LEAF looks and feels like something you would find on a much more expensive vehicle. Starting with the seat materials, Nissan’s “Zero Gravity” leatherette feels luxurious and durable at the same time. The lower trims come with a “Zero Gravity” cloth interior that we didn’t see at the event.

Moving beyond the seats, Nissan clearly put a lot of effort into ditching hard plastics in favor of softer materials, and it shows. This also helps keep the cabin a bit quieter.

For colder climates, the SV+ trim package offers heated front seats, while the fully loaded PLAT+ trim adds a heated steering wheel and heated rear outboard seats.

Infotainment

When you get into the new Nissan LEAF, you’re greeted by a pair of 14.3″ rectangular screens. One sits directly behind the steering wheel, with the second mounted immediately to its right. The resulting look is one of a seamless display spanning most of the dash. On the S+ trim, the primary displays are slightly smaller at 12.3″.

The screen behind the steering wheel is intended for the driver, with settings that apply directly to the driving experience. That’s includes all of the settings, engagement, and disengagement for Nissan’s ProPilot 2 software.

The screen at the center of the dash is a touchscreen that provides control of everything — the in-car navigation provided by Google, music, and even streaming services when the vehicle is parked.

The new displays and operating system represent a huge step up for Nissan. We found them to be responsive and snappy in our testing. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay fans will be happy to know that it supports both. Though, in my testing, the native navigation and Google Maps experience is still preferable to Android Auto’s projection feature. To each their own, says Nissan.

Charging

For the new 2026 Nissan LEAF, a native NACS port is included on the passenger side front fender. (Yay!) Curiously, Nissan opted to make this a DC-only NACS port, so it will only be useful as a fast charging port. (Boo!)

With the DC-only NACS port on the passenger side, all AC charging must be done via the AC-only J1772 charging port on the front driver side fender. The new Nissan LEAF is being introduced at a time when public charging infrastructure is still a hybrid landscape with lots of J1772 level 2 chargers, public CCS chargers, and, of course, Tesla’s NACS Supercharging network.

Nissan wanted to make it easy for buyers to use public AC chargers and Tesla’s Superchargers, so they opted for dual charging ports on the LEAF. Implementing a hybrid design in the vehicle via hardware lets owners use old and new chargers. Though the need for adapters seems inescapable.

The inclusion of two charging standards on different sides of the vehicle will inevitably add a layer of frustration for new EV drivers who definitely don’t understand the difference between DC and AC charging. Having to learn and remember the proper way to park at different chargers depending on the plug seems like an additional headache new EV drivers just don’t need.

That’s especially true when Tesla’s destination chargers push AC out of a NACS port and many many public fast chargers still use the CCS standard in North America. The result is a vehicle with twice as many charging ports as a typical EV that will still require two adapters for a lot of situations.

It’s frustrating, but it’s also not difficult to imagine the LEAF evolving to a point where it will only have a single NACS port on the driver’s side with the capability to charge with AC or DC. As the old CCS and J1772 networks phase out, this one port will be all that’s needed.

Driving experience

Driving the new Nissan LEAF, we found it to be extremely capable and well mannered on everything from city streets, to high speeds on freeways, to aggressive sprints through backcountry corkscrews.

Nissan’s engineers worked their magic to truly optimize the suspension and minimize body roll, because this thing handles like a dream at high speeds. Ripping through some of the back canyons east of metro San Diego, the LEAF proved to be exceptionally capable with almost no body roll, even on the most aggressive curves. Thanks to its low battery and impressive suspension design, it handles better than most sports cars we’ve driven regardless of the price point.

That makes it a great option for people looking for something that’s practical for commuting during the week, but still looking to get out and get their blood pumping on the weekend.

Flipping through the four driving modes — eco, standard, sport, and personal — changes the acceleration characteristics of the vehicle a little, but it still feels like acceleration is being suppressed by the vehicle’s software.

It would be a ton of fun if Nissan made a NISMO version of the new LEAF all-wheel drive, or even just a fully unleashed version of the front-wheel drive motor it has in it already.

The regen modes and braking leave a bit to be desired, as even with Nissan’s E-Step engaged, letting off the accelerator will not bring the vehicle to a complete stop with regen alone. Similarly, hard braking does bring the vehicle to a stop, but the ABS system kicks in earlier than necessary, resulting in worse performance than you’d expect for a vehicle with a chassis that has otherwise been dialed in as tightly as this one has.

Overall

The Nissan LEAF has always been one of the most affordable electric vehicles out there, and with the refresh for 2026, it is a screaming deal. The 2026 Nissan LEAF currently starts at $29,999 for the S+, with the SV+ at $34,230 and the top tier PLAT+ trim we drove tipping the scales at $38,990. All trims also get hit with a $1,495 delivery fee.

Its set to arrive on dealer lots in the fall of 2025, just as Nissan phases the ARIYA out of the US for 2026. That means no federal incentives for the LEAF; though, the introduction of the Nissan LEAF in the S trim in the future should offer a lower price point for budget-conscious buyers. As it stands today, the 2026 Nissan LEAF S+ with its 303 miles of range per charge and budget-friendly $29,999 price tag is an absurd value.

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but the new Nissan LEAF has looks that are sure to appeal to the masses, especially when they start comparing the impressive value equation it brings to the market.

That’s even more true when you take into account 300+ miles of range per charge for the S+ paired with the impressive capabilities of the new suspension dynamics and chassis it comes on.

Head over to the 2026 Nissan LEAF’s official website for more information or to find one near you.