Nissan claims the next Leaf will be able to drive over 300 miles (482 km) on a charge.
The current model is rated at up to 341 km by Natural Resources Canada.
Despite its more SUV-like profile, the next Leaf will remain front-wheel drive only.
Nissan is hard at work on a next generation of the Leaf, its sub-compact electric hatchback, which should arrive later this year as a 2026 model.
While this new model has been teased with clear photos showing its front-end design and side profile, it has not been officially unveiled yet, which means we don’t know the full technical details just yet.
Nevertheless, Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan USA’s senior vice president, gave an idea of what to expect to journalists present as the New York Auto Show earlier today.
Indeed, the executive says the new Leaf will feature a range of over 300 miles (482 kilometres) in some versions, which is a significant jump from the current model.
According to Natural Resources Canada, the 2025 Leaf can only manage 240 kilometres with the standard 40 kWh battery and up to 341 kilometres with the Plus package, which is powered by a larger 60 kWh battery.
This dual battery strategy is likely to continue, as the executive mentioned the new Leaf will also offer range figures that vary from one version to another, and we know this won’t be due to an optional all-wheel drive system, as this has been ruled out.
Indeed, the 2026 Nissan Leaf will still be front-wheel drive only, despite its crossover appearance and larger size.
Charging is also said to be significantly faster than the current model’s 50-kW DC charging cap allows. The outdated CHAdeMO port will also be replaced by a NACS port, which will give the new Leaf access to Tesla Superchargers.
While we don’t have pricing information at the moment, the new Leaf is likely to be positioned as a competitor to the Hyundai Kona EV and Chevrolet Equinox EV, something it couldn’t do before due to its significantly shorter range.
As a reminder, the current Leaf starts at $44,585 and the Ariya starts at $52,910 on the Canadian market, so we can expect the new model’s base price to fall somewhere between those two figures.
Source: Car and Driver
