A pioneer among electric vehicles, the Leaf had lost its appeal once Nissan dropped the ball in the face of newcomers like Tesla and legacy automakers vying for a piece of the all-electric pie. Refreshed 2017 for model year 2018 with the introduction of the second generation, the Leaf will receive a ground-up redesign as early as December 2024 for the 2026 model year.
Hearsay aside, Nissan themselves announced that it's committing plenty of money into the Sunderland assembly plant for a new electric utility vehicle based on the Renault-Nissan Alliance's CMF-EV platform. Trial production kicked off in August 2024, and – if everything goes according to plan – the Nissan Leaf could return to Sunderland as soon as March 2025.
The carparazzi have recently spotted a Euro-spec prototype doing its thing, with the all-new Leaf being noticeably different from the outgoing model. For starters, gone is the five-door hatchback in favor of a crossover with a sloping roofline. Not quite an SUV coupe, this fellow screams Chill-Out concept from 2021.
It's also influenced by the Ariya, whose CMF-EV platform is certain to underpin the lesser model as well. CMF-EV became AmpR Medium a little over a year ago, with AmpR being a reference to Renault subsidiary Ampere. In this context, medium is better described as compact, for the Leaf is and will remain a compact battery-electric vehicle.
Clad in camouflage wrap, the left-hand-drive prototype wears a set of wheels that would not look out of place on the Chill-Out concept. Nissan used the design study as inspiration for the full-width LED strip up front, along with the front end's lower grille and rear lights.
Photo: SH Proshots
In stark contrast to the outgoing Leaf, the third generation adopts hidden handles for the rear doors. Expected to feature the latest ProPILOT Assist driving assistance technologies, the 2026 model will be produced in the United Kingdom for the UK and other Euro markets.
The current-gen Leaf is also made in Smyrna, Tennessee for North America and Yokosuka, Japan for the Asia-Pacific region and other select markets. There is a possibility for the 2026 Nissan Leaf to feature a dual-motor option, and there's even talk of a hot version.
Given the Ariya NISMO and the A390 from Renault's Alpine brand, a go-faster Leaf is not a question of when, but rather if. In case Nissan determines the Leaf NISMO would cannibalize sales of the higher-priced Ariya NISMO, the souped-up model won't happen.
Nissan is already strained by worsening demand for both internal combustion and electric vehicles, with Nissan announcing at the beginning of November 2024 that it's cutting a fifth of global production capacity. The situation is truly dire, for Nissan will cut 9,000 jobs worldwide. It also wants to sell up to 10 percent of the ailing Mitsubishi Motors.
With the switch to CMF-EV underpinnings, the Leaf is going to cost a bit more than before. As of this writing, the 2025 model carries a starting price of $28,140 in the United States of America for the small battery. $36,190 gets you the bigger pack, which enables a driving range of up to 212 miles (341 kilometers). The Ariya, meanwhile, is $39,590 from the outset and tops 304 miles (489 kilometers).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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