The Kia Niro is a small SUV that can run on electricity, gas, or both, depending on the version you choose. It's a good option for people who want a car that is friendly to the environment and still has enough space for everyday use.
Range is how far an electric car can go before it needs to be charged again. It's important because it tells you how much you can drive without stopping to recharge.
A 75-kilowatt-hour battery is a large battery that stores energy for electric cars. It helps the car run and is cooled with liquid to keep it from getting too hot.
The Nissan Ariya is a new electric SUV from Nissan. It's larger than the Leaf and offers more space and features for families or those needing extra room.
The Tata Motors Aria is a larger vehicle that can handle tough roads and weather better than regular cars. It's designed for families or people who need more room and want to drive comfortably in different conditions.
Pound-feet of torque measures how much twisting force an engine can produce. More torque means better acceleration and the ability to pull heavier loads.
A frunk is a trunk located at the front of a car, which is possible in electric vehicles since they don't have engines in that space. It provides extra storage for things like bags.
A single-speed transmission means the car only has one gear, which makes driving simpler because it doesn't need to change gears like traditional cars do. It's often used in electric cars.
Regenerative braking is a system that helps recharge the car's battery when you brake. Instead of wasting energy, it captures some of it to use later, making the car more efficient.
DC fast charging is a way to charge electric cars quickly. It sends power directly to the car's battery, allowing it to charge much faster than regular charging methods.
The HVAC system in a car controls the heating and cooling inside the vehicle. A more efficient system helps keep the car comfortable without using too much energy.
This means the car can use Google services like maps and music directly on its screen. It makes it easier to find directions or listen to your favorite songs while driving.
A surround view camera system uses cameras placed around the car to show a complete view of what's around it. This makes it easier to park and avoid obstacles.
Steering feedback is how much you can feel what's happening with the car through the steering wheel. It helps you understand how the car is handling on the road.
Understeer happens when the front of the car doesn't turn as much as you want it to. It can make the car feel like it's sliding straight instead of going around a corner.
MSRP is the price that the car maker suggests the dealer should sell the car for. It's a starting point for negotiations but can change based on various factors.
The Nissan Leaf is a car that runs on electricity instead of gas, which means it doesn't produce exhaust fumes. It's important because it helps reduce pollution and is usually cheaper to run than traditional cars.
The coefficient of drag tells us how easily a car can move through the air. A smaller number means the car cuts through the air better, which is good for speed and fuel economy.
A power outlet is like a plug in your house, but it's in your car. You can use it to charge your phone or other devices while driving.
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The company that began the affordable EV revolution in 2010, not Tesla, it was Nissan with the leaf.
Over the years, the car steadily improved and lost much of its tree-frog styling, but the
pioneer became less and less competitive against Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona EV and Kia Niro EV.
The all-new 2026 leaf gets up to 303 miles of range, charges faster, and looks better outside
and in.
It's a huge improvement.
15 years, billions of miles are enabling us to bring a package and a product that we
think customers are going to be super excited about.
I'm in San Diego, California for a Nissan-sponsored press event.
On these events, they always hook us up with the drive partner.
I am lucky enough to be with Cole Atisha from Ottawa, I think you all know him.
Generation 3 is a significant change, a much better car.
One of the key heritage elements of this vehicle has always been accessibility of electric
vehicle technology, and what we are doing is continuing that very clearly.
Jatamo is gone, replaced with a Naxport, plus this, so current owners, no pun intended, can
keep their home charging set up.
And the 75-kilowatt-hour battery that's standard on all but the base leaf is liquid-cooled
now.
Pricing, including destination, starts at about $31,500 for the S Plus with the larger
battery, add $4,200 to that and you get the SV Plus.
We're driving the Platinum Plus, fully loaded, just over 40 grand.
And that's a good value.
Like the first leaf, Gen 3 remains front drive, go with Aria for all-wheel drive.
The two are based on the same platform.
There's 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque.
Platinum weighs nearly 4,400 pounds with a rated range of 259 miles.
The route planning with real-time updates is a thing.
Owners should feel a lot better about road tripping now.
All right, time to play Frunk or No Frunk, what do you think?
No Frunk.
Nissan puts all of the components in the nose.
It opens up space in the cabin, so you can put a backpack or a purse between the seats.
Waste heat from the drive motor and on-board charger now helps to condition the battery
in cold conditions.
The transmission gets a new selector with plain buttons, it remains single-speed.
Regen can be adjusted in four steps, plus there's Nissan's E-Step that adds one more level.
Four drive modes change up the driving dynamic a good amount.
This is our first vehicle that we're launching with the native Naxport.
It is DC only, and so for that reason we put it on our passenger side.
We know from our customers driving Arias that a majority of them are using Tesla superchargers,
so having it on the passenger side allows for those V3 chargers that have the shorter cable.
On top of that we have plug-and-charge implemented on this vehicle, so at Tesla stations and
any station that is plug-and-charge capable through the Nissan network.
You can plug in, simply set up your account, plug in, start charging, no need to open
an app or get out a credit card.
For the passenger side we stuck with J1772, we know this is for AC only and home charging.
The old LEAF was limited to 50 kilowatt DC fast charging, now it's 150.
LEAF can juice up from 10 to 80 percent at the right DC fast charger in 35 minutes and
easily overnight at home.
It now supports vehicle to load, so if you're out on a camping trip you can power
all of this stuff at the same time.
For trims we'll need this $280 adapter, Platinum gets two 110 volt built-in outlets.
It does not support whole home energy transfer.
Time to drive.
LEAF is three inches shorter, a smidge lower, and an inch wider now.
There's no SV plus trim at this event, but I figure that's the sweet spot.
For $4,200 over S+, the HVAC system becomes a more efficient heat pump, anemic force
speaker audio gets replaced with a tolerable six, steel wheels change to alloys, the touch
screen engages grow by two inches to 14.3 inches, plus there's Google built-in connected services.
People in back get rear vents and a couple USB ports.
A surround view camera system is standard across the board.
In order to get the $300 battery heater, talking to you Minnesotans, the SV plus
and Platinum plus trims are required.
I'll point out the top spec that we're driving gets an electrochromic panoramic roof, something
reserved for high-end European vehicles just a few years ago.
Let's do zero to 60, kind of by the seat of our pants.
And I would say about eight seconds.
Sounds about right.
So not blisteringly quick though, but it's got that low end torque, so it feels faster.
Nissan points us to a drive loop that's about 180 miles.
Alright Cole, you have already driven this and I have been behind the wheel for a bit
now and I have to say I find this extremely comfortable.
You?
Really nice.
There are some rough patches on this road and got to say the suspension is soaking up
the bumps pretty nicely.
It does.
It's really nice and supple.
It doesn't come to the cost of steering feedback though, which I've noticed, which is nice.
So you still get, you feel what's going on underneath you on the road, but it's
not harsh.
Really to do with that heavy battery in the floor, when you really push this into a corner,
there's definitely understeer.
Yes.
And I think that's probably right for a car like this because this isn't being sold
to enthusiasts, it's being sold to the mass market.
Absolutely.
I think the fact that it can even carry its own on these twisty canyon roads and
it can still be a little bit fun to drive is impressive.
Using large bumps, there's some float to the chassis dynamic with an extra bounce over
big heaves, but overall this ride dynamic will be a hit with mainstream buyers.
Pricing.
I'm kind of surprised this is coming in with destination around 31.5 and as tested
about 41 grand with a lot of luxury touches.
It's kind of impressive.
It is, especially with some of the things we've noticed like the sort of liquid crystal
sunroof, something that we've only ever seen before in higher and outties and
Bentley's.
It's a pretty nice touch.
Yeah.
We both find road noise off the tires on the low side.
The most prominent sound is wind off the side view mirrors.
At least it's smooth.
This does not have true one-pedal driving.
It won't come to a complete stop, but regen is adjustable.
There are what?
More levels in the paddles.
Yeah.
And then there's the extra one with the e-pedal.
Yeah.
That adds an extra level, but it makes the pedal move.
It's a little weird.
It's tough to do a real world range test on events like this, but Platinum Plus's
259 mile range seems quite achievable and most of our driving is highway where
EVs don't do as well.
The cabin design turns over a new leaf.
I know.
Sorry.
You knew that was going to happen at some point.
It's an attractive space with lots of soft touch plastics and fabrics, very little shiny
black stuff in here.
There are some hard buttons, not tons.
At least there are four window switches.
And fortunately, the haptic surfaces work pretty darn well.
Nissan's zero gravity chairs are heated and quite comfortable, supportive bolsters hugged
gently.
Tailor fit synthetic leather is soft to the touch.
The drivers is powered with memory.
Passengers get old school manual adjustment.
Both Cole and I agree, the Bose system has rich punchy sound, worth upgrading to Platinum
just for that.
Ambient light switches add some pop at night, Platinum adds colors to choose
from.
I'd love to show you how well the natural voice commands work.
Hey, how much battery is left in the car?
But there's no service here in the middle of nowhere.
You're just going to have to take my word for it.
You want storage?
Leaf has storage.
Like I said, the floor is open and that's good for a duffel bag or purse.
Plus, there are all of these slots and cubbies.
The console doesn't slide for an aft like Aria.
I didn't get loads of time to assess the user interface, but it's light years ahead
of the one found in the second generation Leaf.
Cole and I had no issues calling up anything that we needed.
The touch response is good, so is organization.
And for those that simply must have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Nissan delivers.
If you're new to these videos, I'm 5'9", my Levi's inseam is 32 inches.
As far as headroom goes, it's a little tight, but manageable.
Knee and legroom are good, footroom, that is snug.
The cushions are a bit on the low and short side, thy support is fine.
Door openings are big enough I can get my size 11's through no sweat.
Storage in the doors, yes, and pockets on both seat backs, you know I like that.
No separate climate zone, but adjustable vents, you can charge phones back here, plus heated
seats on the outboard positions with the Platinum Plus.
The floor is completely flat, great for footroom.
Leaf is a little bit wider now, I don't know that I would put three adults in here
all the time.
Two will be pretty comfortable, unless their feet are really large.
Leaf doesn't photograph particularly well, it looks much better in person.
Swoopy and chunky, the only design element that carries over is the arc in the hood.
The katana blade in the sea pillar reminds me of Aria and Z, the front has some morano
in it.
Also, Platinum's 3D taillights have real personality.
The 45 degree angle spoiler is functional aerodynamics, the coefficient of drag drops from .29 to .26.
The design is a huge improvement.
One thing the Nissan engineers are very proud of, the cargo area is much larger now, and
nope can't do the TP trunk test, I am miles away from a Costco, but I do have my luggage.
I think that's just as relatable, right?
My guess is it would be an easy five packs.
There's 20 cubic feet of space back here with all the seats filled.
Nice that there's a power outlet here, but kind of surprised there aren't any bag
hooks which really do help.
There's some extra storage, dig down even deeper, and there's the included travel
charge cord, no spare tire though.
Also on higher trims, you can get Nissan's trick dividing cargo area that helps keep groceries
from sliding around.
There are no remote releases, and none are really needed, it's easy to reach in and
drop the backs.
All said and done, the new leaf will take on 55.5 cubic feet of anything you might
want to fill it with.
Ok Cole, let's sum this up, what do you like about this?
I like how nice it feels for its price point.
I think that for a car that in base form starts at just under $30,000 before destination charges,
it feels a lot more expensive than it is, feels really refined and everything feels
like it's very intentional, which is great.
Yes, again, much better than the outgoing leaf.
Handles pretty well, the package is pretty good.
Negatives?
Negatives, power, no optional all-wheel drive, so depending on where you live, that might
be a bit of a deal breaker, thankfully they have the aria for that.
I will add the back seat is not a place large, tall adults will want to spend a lot of time
in, but as an overall package, Nissan engineers have clearly addressed all of the shortcomings
that held the first two generations back.
For those looking for impressive mainstream driving dynamics and affordability, the
2026 leaf lets you say goodbye to gas station stops and hello to comfort and features.
Before I give the car back a fun fact, you might have noticed this flourish and it actually
means something.
In Japanese, one, two, three, four, five is ichi, ni, san, shi, go and if you look
at it, two, three, ni, san, ni san, kind of clever, huh?
Hey, before I go, I do need to tell you that ni san brought me to San Diego, put me up
and fed me so I could do this video, but opinions are my own.
That's very important.
Glad we've got that straightened out and now that that's settled, remember to
subscribe to the channel, click notifications, follow me on social media, and if you have
a question, leave it in the comments.
I'm very good about getting back to people, okay?
All right, from San Diego, that's Driven.
I'm Tom Volk.
About this episode
The 2026 Nissan Leaf marks a significant evolution in the brand's electric vehicle lineup, boasting up to 303 miles of range, faster charging, and a more appealing design. Key features include a liquid-cooled 75-kWh battery, improved driving dynamics, and a spacious, comfortable interior. The episode highlights a press event in San Diego, where hosts Tom and Cole discuss the Leaf's competitive pricing, advanced tech like plug-and-charge capabilities, and the absence of all-wheel drive. Overall, the new Leaf aims to attract mainstream buyers with its blend of affordability and modern features.
The Nissan Leaf was an EV pioneer but it's been long in the tooth for years. The all-new third generation is improved in every way with up to 303 miles of range, faster charging speed and a liquid cooled battery pack. Plus NACS! It's affordable, starting at under $30,000. Tom Voelk and Autoblog's Cole Attisha check out a loaded Platinum + trim with features found only on premium vehicles just a few years ago. It's not overly fast, but it is a quiet comfortable cruiser with new found style.
