The 2026 Nissan Leaf is coming to you as an important electric vehicle (EV), representing the third generation with many major changes. For Nissan, this model is a special icon and is considered one of their flagship models. You will notice that its design has now become SUV-like, including rounded shapes, high ride height and a very aerodynamic front end. According to design director Nobutaka Tase, this is the most aero-efficient car that Nissan has ever made.
It has features like a fastback style body, active grille shutters, a flat underbody, flush-fitting door handles and optimized wheel design to enhance its aerodynamic efficiency. Even the e-dimming panoramic glass roof has helped reduce the critical air detachment points by 12mm. Its drag coefficient will be up to 0.26 (US/Japan) or 0.25 (Europe) for different markets.
At the heart of this new model is the advanced CMF-EV platform, now known as AmpR Medium. This is the same platform on which the Nissan Ariya electric crossover is based. This platform brings you a number of improvements. Most importantly, it creates the possibility of adopting an active cooling system. This will be a big relief for you as the current model has passive cooling which struggles to maintain the battery temperature in extreme climatic conditions and can potentially lead to battery degradation.
Also, with this platform, you can expect to get popular charging ports like CCS in markets like Europe and Australia, making it much easier for you to charge at public charging stations, especially since the current model's CHAdeMO charger is less available in public.
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From a performance point of view, the new platform brings you the potential for significant upgrades. The Ariya, built on the same platform, is available with 65 kWh and 90 kWh battery packs. Its drivetrain options range from a 160kW/300Nm front-wheel drive setup to a 290kW/600Nm all-wheel drive dual-motor system.
In comparison, the current generation Leaf base model offers 110kW/320Nm, and the e+ variant puts out 160kW/340Nm. This clearly shows that the new Leaf can offer significantly better power and potentially more torque variants due to the platform, giving you a significant boost in performance.
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All these upgrades combine to make the 2026 Nissan Leaf a very strong and capable electric vehicle. With its improved aerodynamic efficiency and the capability of the new platform, you can expect a driving range of around 300 to 500 kilometres. According to Mr Candler, it can add more than 250km of range in about 14 minutes of charging stops.
With these features, Nissan aims to make the new Leaf a reliable alternative to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. The model is expected to go on sale in Australia in 2026 and will likely come from Nissan's Sunderland factory in the UK.
