Nissan Leaf
How it looks when you see on the street: The original Nissan Leaf is a museum piece. It was the first mass-market all-electric vehicle to arrive in the US over 15 years ago. At the time, the Leaf was a quirky hatchback revelation. It was designed to look like an EV – a greener, boxy, brighter shape. It had range of 73 miles and took hours to charge. Leaf has come a long way as battery tech has advanced at a clip. The 2026 Leaf can run for up to 300 miles in some trims, essentially eliminating rate anxiety. Nissan is hoping to capture back some of its practical, unfussy early adopter vibes in a much more packed EV field. It’s come along way, from the outside in. It’s outfitted as a slick fastback and has markedly more svelte proportions and elevated ground clearance. We drove a prototype version of the new Leaf ahead of its official release.
How it makes you feel when you get in: We appreciate the simplicity of the Leaf’s interior set up. Fabrics pop and its dash uncluttered. The higher-end trims Leaf Platinum+ and SV+ feature Google Built In packaged as a free one-year subscription. The infotainment system that supports phone mirroring. Our test vehicle had the Bose Personal Plus Premium audio system that included 10 speakers, plus a Wifi Hotspot.
How it drives: Leaf is a modest city cruiser – a great car for zipping around town and where it feels most at home. In its top-of-the-line model, the S+, the range is a blast forward at 303 miles – almost 50 miles more than the generation introduced in 2018. It makes 214 hp and 261 pound feet of torque. The base model sits as 174 hp. We drove the Premium + that produces 259 miles of range. The Leaf is equipped with CCS charging and a 7.2-kilowatt onboard charger. Nissan says it will charge from 10 to 80 percent charge time in 35 minutes at highspeed Tesla Superchargers.
Space for people and things: The back seat has snug proportions, but still comfortably fit medium sized adults. The trunk has solid storage area and extra underfloor storage.
What to compare it to: Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro EV, Chevrolet Bolt EUV
How much does it cost: Our Platinum + test model was $41,930.