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Having rather lost its way with electric cars, Nissan is now back with a third generation LEAF model that aims to return to the sharp end of the family hatch EV class. There's everything you might expect from a LEAF - but also perhaps, a lot that you wouldn't.
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Background
When the history books on the origins of electric cars are written, one early model will be prominent: the Nissan LEAF. First launched back in 2010 and followed up by second generation version in 2018, it's been described as the 'godfather' of electric cars - the very first volume-selling mainstream family EV. It was once the only game in town if you wanted a spacious electric hatch, but latterly has been a forgotten player in an over-stuffed market full of more modern EV alternatives. A market this third generation model, announced in summer 2025, must approach with new perspective.
Having pioneered this segment, it seems curious that this struggling Japanese maker should have let others profit from it, but the lethargy in building on the LEAF legacy has at least allowed Nissan to wait for the more mature battery technology needed for EVs to become a more genuine combustion alternative. Which, we're assured, is exactly what this third generation model is.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 32249 | 36249 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 100 | 100 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 8.3 | 7.8 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 271 | 271 |
| Length (mm) | 4350 | 4350 |
| Min | Max |
| Width (mm) | 1810 | 1810 |
| Height (mm) | 2098 | 2098 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 437 | 437 |
| Power (hp) | 174 | 215 |
| Torque (lb ft) | 345 | 355 |
Driving experience
The engineering 'Job 1' for this third generation LEAF wasn't hard to fathom; Chief Vehicle Engineer Hiroki Isobe sums it up - "efficiency, efficiency, efficiency". This was, after all, why sales of the old MK2 version went so severely off the boil; the 39kWh variant most people bought could only go 168 miles between charges. That was a way up from the MK1 design, whose 24kWh battery only took the car 124 miles at the original 2010 launch, but not nearly good enough. Forget about that now because this MK3 version comes with a choice of much larger and denser 52kWh and 75kWh batteries, giving respective range figures of either 271 or 386 miles. Which is properly up to the VW ID.3/Kia EV3/Skoda Elroq class standard.
Bolted to the CMF-EV Renault Nissan Alliance platform is a front-mounted electric motor of a clever 'three-in-one' design, which means it combines the motor, the inverter and the reducer into a single package. This offers 174hp with the smaller battery or 215hp with the bigger one and takes the car to 62mph in either 8.3s or 7.6s respectively, en route to 100mph. As with the old model, the brake regen system allows for a 'one-pedal' driving mode, but this time that's also joined by useful regen paddles on the steering wheel giving settings ranging from off to heavy (in terms of the arrest to your forward motion).
Beyond the city limits, don't expect a huge amount of driver engagement - but LEAF motoring has never really been about that - and the prodigious kerb weight of up to 1,946kg doesn't encourage it here. What you might hope for this time around is a better quality of ride - which a previous owner should feel is delivered by the redesigned suspension arrangement (MacPherson struts up-front, with a multi-link arrangement at the rear). And you can expect that sleek 0.25Cd drag factor to deliver impressive refinement.
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Design and build
This third generation LEAF sits on a modified version of the CMF-EV platform that undergirds its larger Ariya showroom stablemate and also the Renault Megane. But it looks quite distinct and the 4,350mm-long shape is more aerodynamic, with a sleek drag coefficient of 0.25Cd (the previously LEAF was 0.28Cd). Nissan says it was going for 'chic, urban sexiness' with the sloping roof line, flush door handles and unusual Kamm-style tail. The rear is a particular point of differentiation from the class norm, with its three-dimensional lights featuring neat 'Ni-San' graphics (which means '2-3' in Japanese). The blanked-out rear panel references the brand's long-running 300ZX sports car. Wheel sizes are 18 or 19-inch.
If you owned the previous LEAF, you won't recognise anything about this one once inside. For the first time, Nissan has used a twin-screen display, with dual 14.3-inch monitors even bigger than those in the Ariya. The infotainment screen has intelligent voice control and a Google-based navigation system. There are useful buttons retained for key functions, so not everything is relegated to screen menus (Chinese brands take note) and there's a set of touch-sensitive controls for the air conditioning.
There's plenty of cabin storage space, with a large open area under the dashboard and plenty of space for smaller items. You'd expect the sloping roof line to limit rear head space but it's not too bad - and actually gets better by 20mm if you choose a version fitted with the clever switchable-transparency glass roof. Out back, there's decently-sized 437-litres boot (50-litres) bigger than the MK2 model), but the swept-back roofline might restrict you in loading in bulkier items.
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Market and model
Fortunately for Nissan, this third generation LEAF has qualified for the highest £3,750 level of Electric Car Grant, so what might have looked like quite an off-putting asking price actually sytarts at just over £32,000 for the base 'Engage'-spec version. With that, you get 18-inch alloy wheels, a heat pump and an 11kW charger dual 12.3-inch display screen's. You're probably going to want more than that though. Another £900 gets you mid-level 'Engage+' spec, which adds larger 14.3-inch twin front screens, heat for the front seats and steering wheel, a 15W wireless 'phone charger and Google Automotive Services features (Google Maps, Googfle Assoistant and Google Play Store) for the centre screen.
Mid-level 'Advance' trim further adds a dimming panoramic roof, a head-up display, a powered tailgate, a full-length front signature lamp with illuminated Nissan logo, 3D tail lamps, rear privacy glass and synthetic leather upholstery with cloth inserts and a choice of colours.
The top 'Evolve' spec will cost you just over £36,000 (grant-included) and further adds a 9-speaker BOSE audio system, larger 19-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable front seats, a driver's seat massage function, keyless entry and a V2L system so you can power external devices (like laptops and lights) from the car's drive battery.
Safety provision on all models is aided by Nissan's ProPILOT with Navi-link system, which uses real-time data to help you keep to the right speed, lane position and adapt to curves. As you'd expect, there's an application for your phone. The NissanConnect Services app allows you to pre-set cabin temperature, check charging status remotely and schedule charging at off-peak times.
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Cost of ownership
Nissan is at pains to stress that the EV range figures we gave you in our 'Driving' section are realistic. Even motorway driving, usually a huge source of battery drain for EVs, is claimed to be less taxing in this one, with over 200 miles apparently possible from the larger battery at an 80mph cruise. The quoted combined electricity consumption figure for both battery sizes is up to 4.5 miles/kWh.
Range wasn't the only thing that put people off the previous LEAF. With that old car, you had to grapple with an awkward Chademo plug socket, now thankfully ditched in favour of the CCS charging system everyone else uses. The 400V electrical architecture DC-charges the larger 75kWh battery at up to 150kW (competitive but not exceptional). Which means the class-usual 30 minute time for a 10-80% DC charge, in which period the car should gain 273 miles of range with that larger battery. Bear in mind though, that the entry-level 52kWh battery DC-charges much slower - at just 105kW, though it still manages a 30 minute 20-80% refill time.
A heat pump is standard, helping to maximise range in particularly cold weather. And the EV system uses Google Maps to automatically begin pre-conditioning the battery when the car is nearing charging points selected in the provided app. That will mean the battery is then at a perfect temperature on arrival, which will allow you to charge it faster and more efficiently. The Google-based journey planner built into the system can even consider wind direction and speed to predict energy consumption.
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Summary
We didn't expect this third generation LEAF to be the industry milestone it was in its earliest form, but we hoped that it might help to redefine what a current EV family hatch should be - and to some extent it does. We also hoped that, unlike the new Micra, it would be more than just a re-bodied Renault - and thankfully, it is. So there's life, it seems, in the Nissan brand yet. Which is good to know given that here it's selling you a British-built EV complete with British-built batteries.
As was necessary, everything is different here from the LEAF models we used to know. But you'd also detect in the fundamentals of this design a depth of model line experience generated from over 700,000 global sales and more than 17 billion miles of driving. We're not sure that the result 'sets the standard for future electric vehicles', as the brand claims it does. But it certainly sets the standard for future electric Nissans. And does so in a way that makes it very significant indeed.
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