2026 Nissan Leaf electric car revealed

Nissan has endured internal leaks, massive job losses, failed mergers and CEO sackings. This is its last shot.

Nissan has thrown a haymaker in its fight back from the brink, unveiling a comprehensively reworked Nissan Leaf that could shift its fortunes around the globe.

Having come perilously close to bankruptcy last year, the Japanese giant attempted to merge with Honda and Mitsubishi before going its own way.

The first fruit of its effort is a new Nissan Leaf that has morphed from being an awkward-looking hatchback to an attractive SUV.

It’s a “make or break” vehicle from a car maker with its back against the wall.

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Nissan’s Leaf has a bold new look. Picture: Supplied.

New looks borrow elements from the larger Nissan Ariya electric car – a rival to the Tesla Model Y – and the Nissan Z sports car.

Finished in eye-catching “luminous teal” paint for its debut, the car rides on 19-inch wheels that fill its arches better than the old car’s 17-inch rims.

On the inside, twin 14.3-inch screens promise much-improved connectivity, and a clever Bose stereo has speakers built into the front seats.

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The car’s cabin is much more modern than before. Picture: Supplied.

Promising more than 600 kilometres of range from a 75kWh battery, the Leaf is powered by a 160kW electric motor that drives the front wheels.

A cheaper version offers a 52kWh battery with about 435km of range.

Customers can expect to add 430 kilometres of range in half an hour thanks to 150kW fast-charging ability.

An SUV body style should broaden its appeal. Picture: Supplied

Nissan spokesman Arnaud Charpentier said the new Leaf “blends elegance, confidence, and breakthrough range – wrapped in a design that’s as smart as it is emotional”.

“It brings the best of Nissan innovation to the mainstream, and we’re incredibly excited to introduce it to European roads,” he said.

The new leaf has a “vehicle to load” function allowing owners to plug electric appliances into the car. It will also be compatible with “vehicle to home” and “vehicle to grid” tech that will allow customers to integrate the car into their home’s electric system, like a giant battery.

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The Leaf has up to 600km of range. Picture: Supplied

The Nissan Leaf was one of the world’s first mass-produced electric cars.

It gave the brand an enormous headstart over rivals such as Toyota and Honda, which have struggled for traction in the EV segment.

Nissan has sold more than 700,000 examples of the electric Leaf around the globe.

But sales of the car have been stagnant in Australia.

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The Nissan Leaf is a slow seller in Australia.

Nissan Australia sold 484 and 357 examples of the Leaf in 2023 and 2024 – just 841 cars in two years.

That compares poorly with sales figures for electric rivals such as the BYD Atto 3 (16,793) and MG4 (10,068) in the same two-year period.

Originally published as 2026 Nissan Leaf electric car revealed