New Nissan Leaf Review: Better Than a Tesla?

Is the Nissan Leaf now the best little EV you can buy in 2026?

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This is the brand new Nissan Leaf – and it's undergone a severe glow-up!

It's reasonable to state previous editions of the Nissan Leaf had an extremely middle-of-the-road feel. They weren't bad vehicles, but they offered extremely little when it pertained to sticking out from the crowd.

As for the new automobile, though, it seriously looks the part! The problem is, with new looks comes a new price. So does it offer enough to sway you away from comparable vehicles in its classification like the Kia EV3 and Jaecoo 5? Let's take a better look …

The front-end of the Leaf obtains from the Nissan Ariya, implying it has a futuristic yet tidy appearance, consisting of a full-length light bar and a sporty yet trendy low bumper. The Nissan only has one basic colour (red), but we believe it looks seriously smart in this electrical blue, paired with the black window surrounds and roof. The back of the cars and truck features a sloping roofline, an upright back with a big Nissan badge across the back. Every angle of the vehicle is a huge upgrade from the previous edition.

The interior of the Leaf likewise looks seriously wise, although the percentages and positioning of some aspects leave a bit to be wanted. The cupholders are a great size but too low down, the infotainment screen is large however extends a bit too far away from the chauffeur, and the phone charging pad is in the centre console, consuming into storage space. That being said, it's still a reasonably smart-looking interior. In this edition, there's fabric product throughout the doors and soft-touch products throughout the dash, and there's a large digital dial screen that provides loads of performance. The seats likewise can be found in a faux leather product also – although you only get cloth seats in the entry-level.

The entry-level Leaf comes with a 52kWh battery and a single motor, which benefits 177hp. It likewise has actually a declared variety of 271 miles. Even more up in the range, there's a 75kWh battery which also powers a single motor, with the power output rising to 218hp. It comes with a huge declared variety of 386 miles, although we discovered ourselves well short of that in the video.

The entry-level Leaf starts at ₤ 32,599, but with the current Carwow conserving (since October 2026), you could get one for ₤ 26,548! When it comes to the range-topping edition? Well, that rolls up with a beginning rate of ₤ 39,999! So is it worth it? Let us understand what you think in the remarks!

Mat's Nissan Leaf Option:

Kia EV3 review:

Jaecoo 5 review:

Check out new and pre-owned cars and truck deals with Carwow:
00:00 All-New Nissan Leaf: What's Altered?
00:36 Exterior Design: Crossover Change
02:11 Battery Capability, Motors & Electric Range
02:26 Real 0-60mph & Brake Preventing Distance
03:20 Cabin Quality, Infotainment & Dashboard
06:18 5 Annoying Features Of the New Leaf
08:52 Standout Tech & Clever Details
10:28 Back Seats: Exists Enough Legroom?
12:06 Boot Capability & Luggage Usefulness
14:18 Town Driving Comfort & One-Pedal Braking
16:04 Overtaking Power & Velocity
17:12 B-Road Characteristics & Suspension Convenience
17:55 Rate Breakdown & Competitor Comparison
18:38 Final Carwow Decision: Is It Worth Purchasing?

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Comments

79 responses to “New Nissan Leaf Review: Better Than a Tesla?”

  1. @pennydome Avatar
    @pennydome

    386 miles of range. Reality sold separately.

    1. @philtsang2818 Avatar
      @philtsang2818

      386 miles range is possible if you add it on the back of a recovery truck.😂😂

    2. @junzytech5450 Avatar
      @junzytech5450

      ​@philtsang2818😢😢😢

    3. @harunkarabulutt Avatar
      @harunkarabulutt

      I drive one daily with the large wheels and get about 500km of range, highway and city

    4. @meme4one Avatar
      @meme4one

      How they get away with those lies is crazy.

    5. @gerhardk98 Avatar
      @gerhardk98

      The right foot has a huge impact on range with any EV. This video is basically a hit piece.

  2. @Mathew-j6s Avatar
    @Mathew-j6s

    Looks like a Luce Lite!

    1. @kleanovodust-bin69 Avatar
      @kleanovodust-bin69

      The Luce is inspired by the Leaf 😅

    2. @burtek. Avatar
      @burtek.

      The Luce looks like a Leaf Lite

    3. @DavidKerep-eb9ob Avatar
      @DavidKerep-eb9ob

      ​@kleanovodust-bin69 because it has the same colour and 4 wheels?

    4. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      ​@kleanovodust-bin69and Ferrari F80 felt like Assoluto Fatalita.

    5. @infinitebeing1119 Avatar
      @infinitebeing1119

      Heavy…😂

  3. @Marbeary Avatar
    @Marbeary

    Ferrari luce has competition.

    1. @alexandruileaa Avatar
      @alexandruileaa

      The Luce is so bad, nothing comes close to it

    2. @dennisjames9091 Avatar
      @dennisjames9091

      Sorry, but the Nissan looks better.

    3. @paolocoletti3424 Avatar
      @paolocoletti3424

      @alexandruileaa No literally, no one will get close to it !

    4. @MyViewToronto Avatar
      @MyViewToronto

      Wrong, this looks better than the Luce.

    5. @RailsAndRevolutions Avatar
      @RailsAndRevolutions

      This actually looks quite good though, unlike the Ferrari!

  4. @slmroelives.985 Avatar
    @slmroelives.985

    Oh look, it’s the ferrari luce!

    1. @sihamhamda47 Avatar
      @sihamhamda47

      Should be renamed to “Nissan Leaf GT Nismo”

    2. @Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars Avatar
      @Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars

      The New Nissan Leaf crossover: Officially unveiled globally on 17 June 2025. Its styling was heavily previewed even earlier, drawing from the 2021 Nissan Chill-Out concept. if anything, the Luce copied… er was inspired by the Leaf.

    3. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      ​@sihamhamda47agree. Nissan Leaf GT-R Nismo might be a better EV Concept car for this one.

  5. @natebutontheinternet Avatar
    @natebutontheinternet

    Idk. That cup holder placement seems pretty good

    1. @Mag_Drop Avatar
      @Mag_Drop

      Kinda agree, too high up and they interfere with your elbow which is annoying AF.

    2. @Anthony11986 Avatar
      @Anthony11986

      @Mag_Dropyour elbow is 2 feet in front of your torso?

    3. @FlatoutR Avatar
      @FlatoutR

      @Anthony11986 in america thats quite common iv seen , some also take 2 plane seats !

    4. @shush-ant Avatar
      @shush-ant

      ​@FlatoutRhahahahha. British wit and humour is the best there is

    5. @Anthony11986 Avatar
      @Anthony11986

      ⁠Americans are wide, but their arms are no different. Your elbows are basically right beside you or just slightly ahead.

  6. @Naksh2312 Avatar
    @Naksh2312

    This is actually what the luce looks like

    1. @motorcycle-man Avatar
      @motorcycle-man

      Their color is similar. They share 4 wheels. That’s really about it.

    2. @lilmario0 Avatar
      @lilmario0

      More like this is what Ferrari thinks it looks like.

    3. @DavidKerep-eb9ob Avatar
      @DavidKerep-eb9ob

      ​@motorcycle-man literally

  7. @nixer65 Avatar
    @nixer65

    Why 64 colours? The colour of the light is set by a mixture of red, green and blue LEDs (the good old colour wheel). They are using 4 levels (or more technically 0-3) for each colour. You then have 4x4x4 different potential combinations – and that’s 64 different options.

    1. @kleanovodust-bin69 Avatar
      @kleanovodust-bin69

      What about… 67 different colours

    2. @margrab9139 Avatar
      @margrab9139

      Yes RGB spot on replay

    3. @Brzeczyszczykiewicz1 Avatar
      @Brzeczyszczykiewicz1

      @kleanovodust-bin69 Get out.

    4. @deanusw Avatar
      @deanusw

      ​@kleanovodust-bin69has to be powers of 2

    5. @nicalev Avatar
      @nicalev

      Bet you’re wild at parties..

  8. @enginekid88 Avatar
    @enginekid88

    Upgrading to massive wheels at checkout is essentially paying thousands of dollars up front to get a harsher ride, higher road noise, worse fuel economy, and higher maintenance bills—all so the car looks slightly more striking while sitting in a parking spot or at a red light. Carwow needs to stop promoting larger diameter tires!

    1. @tylerford6509 Avatar
      @tylerford6509

      Larger tires have so many other benefits. And when they come with them out of factory the suspension and other things are tuned to them. Not the same thing as just slapping some new rims on your car.

    2. @DazieArt Avatar
      @DazieArt

      Totally agreed. The RACING Supra uses 18 inch wheels while the pedestrian version uses 19’s. Having a 35 series tire or lower profile reduces handling and ride quality and makes it immeasurably more likely to break a wheel in a pothole, all in the name of Aesthetics. 40-45 series height rubber is the sweet spot for Handling and Ride, while you need well over 55 series for Offroad and Eco Compounds.

      No amount of “Factory Tuning” can displace PHYSICS.

    3. @DrQuiza Avatar
      @DrQuiza

      They even give you worse acceleration! The only benefit is a slightly improved steering feedback which is neglectable in normal driving conditions.

    4. @hansebee Avatar
      @hansebee

      the huge low-profile tyres were exactely the reason I went for the Tekna instead of the Tekna+ on my 2026 Nissan Qashqai, missing out on the other features of the higher end kit. I test drove the 20″, they were atrocious! Even the 19″ are far better, but the 18″ would be perfect for that car.

    5. @deansmits006 Avatar
      @deansmits006

      Just going down to 17″ would likely pay nice dividends in ride quality and range. Nobody is really pushing these around corners

  9. @jameswingrove7421 Avatar
    @jameswingrove7421

    I get your point about the power switch. That said, I prefer having an On/Off switch.

    1. @drxym Avatar
      @drxym

      It is pointless in an EV though. I just sit in my MG and it turns on and when I leave and lock the doors it turns off. Wife had a Model Y which did the same but she moved to a BYD Seal which has decided to have an On/Off switch but also settings to just auto turn on and off similar to a Tesla / MG. I don’t understand why they even bothered with the On/Off switch at all if they can do it the other way.

    2. @FlatoutR Avatar
      @FlatoutR

      do you turn ur phone of daily since it also has a on/off function ? my guess is no becouse its not wanted or needed. same goes for the EV .
      you might have parked and are done driving, the car still might wanna cool/warm battery or other components instead of just beeing shut off !

    3. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      ​@drxymBYD Seal basically a good choice of you don’t like to Drive the 2026 Nissan Leaf or Ferrari Luce.😅

    4. @narkosfera1421 Avatar
      @narkosfera1421

      Honestly, thats why I really consider the Citreon C3-e.

      Even though it has not the best range, it starts when you put your key into the “ignition”. Like a proper car.
      But I also prefer some sort of button/switch to turn a car on. The Keyless drive system always leaves me a with that little gut rumbling, since everything electric is only as good as the system its build on.

      Sure you can forge a key and get into the car this way, but it makes it a little harder, atleast thats what I tell myself.
      Also I just love having actual proper buttons and a designated place for my key in a car.

    5. @Laur1nK Avatar
      @Laur1nK

      I personally like the idea of it turning on/off automatically, but first of all a button should always be there in case it doesn’t work or I want to shut it off and stay in it or if I want to keep it running and second I just feel better pressing a button and being 100% sure that I did turn it off.

  10. @SocalCanyonRacer Avatar
    @SocalCanyonRacer

    Ferrari Luce’s little brother by a different mother 😂

    1. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      Will it be applied also to Toyota Land Cruiser i wonder?

    2. @Pristine-Rituals Avatar
      @Pristine-Rituals

      Brother from another mother

  11. @jkkchow74 Avatar
    @jkkchow74

    8:24 James should get a pay rise Matt 🎉😂😢

    1. @massisami5412 Avatar
      @massisami5412

      I think James is the owner of carwow

  12. @Peter.R.M. Avatar
    @Peter.R.M.

    There is an issue with the previous Nissan Leaf, models built in the early 2020’s were only air cooled by air circulation and the rear part of the battery assembly is liable to overheat. distort and kill the cells.
    Leaf owners should note that Nissan UK are NOT paying out on warranty claims and repairs run to well over £5K.
    My niece has this problem with her 2021 Leaf and is currently trying to get recompense from Nissan but Nissan claim the problem is caused by fast charging.
    It probably is caused by fast charging, logically this means that there is a design or manufacturing fault with the car and Nissan should do a recall and replace the batteries.

    1. @LimeGuyTheSlimeGuy Avatar
      @LimeGuyTheSlimeGuy

      That’s not just early 2020’s, that’s ALL Nissan Leafs before this one. They’re all passively cooled batteries, and in the owners manual, Nissan advises against fast charging, and also recommends letting the battery cool off before plugging in the charger at home. It’s why I never considered one (besides also being ugly). The new Leaf has water cooling for the battery, so that’ll be a non issue.

      Sadly, Nissan are in the clear on your niece’s battery, as well as others, because they clearly inform owners how to ‘appropriately’ care for the battery.

    2. @aussie2uGA Avatar
      @aussie2uGA

      Nissan crippled their Leaf’s by not spending $$$ on R&D and cooling their batteries.

    3. @PeterOsterbart-fq3qn Avatar
      @PeterOsterbart-fq3qn

      The old Nissan Leaf is single-handedly responsible for all arguments against EVs the anti-EV-goons use until today. 😔

  13. @bellobertino Avatar
    @bellobertino

    Matt looks so gleeful listening to the marching band

  14. @craigrogers9799 Avatar
    @craigrogers9799

    I like a key or a button. I only want the car to be ready to go when I am ready to go. 1 second button press is hardly a deal breaker.

    1. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      I thought it had instantenous effect when pressing a key or a button.😅

    2. @paulchapman4946 Avatar
      @paulchapman4946

      It’s a safety thing…Imagine getting in the car wil NO start button…waiting for the missus shopping…you lean over to grab something from the glove box…your foot touches the go pedal…all of a sudden your parked on top of another car up a wall!!!!

    3. @craigrogers9799 Avatar
      @craigrogers9799

      ​@paulchapman4946exactly, it’s bloody stupid not to have one. I wouldn’t do that but I know people who could.

    4. @pepstein Avatar
      @pepstein

      @paulchapman4946 It doesn’t work that way. For one thing, the car isn’t “on” until you’ve pressed the brake pedal. For another, even when the car turns itself on, it’s still in park. You have to press D or R to put it in gear before the accelerator pedal does anything.

      Tesla is the only EV I know of that automatically starts and (optionally) automatically shifts into gear.

  15. @samueltaylor2757 Avatar
    @samueltaylor2757

    64 colours fits very neatly into binary from a computing standpoint

  16. @emiliogato Avatar
    @emiliogato

    Lol. I never thought I’d ever see a Nissan Leaf do a 0-60 in under 7 seconds!

    1. @deansmits006 Avatar
      @deansmits006

      I know, he just glazes over that fact. It’s faster than most new cars in the uk with the standard and midrange engines that are 1.2-1.6 liter 3-4 cylinders. It’s right quick, plenty for all driving needs

    2. @TheFPSPower Avatar
      @TheFPSPower

      @deansmits006 He said its impressive and set a whole video chapter on “overtaking power and acceleration” at 16:00, what more do you need?

    3. @jsavill7925 Avatar
      @jsavill7925

      It’s seems perfectly OK. A Ferrari 308 GTSi QV from when I was younger took 7.10 seconds to 60

    4. @jsavill7925 Avatar
      @jsavill7925

      It’s unfortunate that the press cars are the top spec ones with the larger wheels & wider tyres which takes 36 miles off the highway range in the US EPA test

  17. @PierreVilleneuve88 Avatar
    @PierreVilleneuve88

    Removing the one pedal driving is stupid. I know people who had a leaf and didnt buy this new one just for the lack of one pedal driving.

    1. @ricarmig Avatar
      @ricarmig

      This. For me a car without it is directly a no buy

  18. @BobbyDeniroX Avatar
    @BobbyDeniroX

    We need the Nismo version asap

  19. @iikkayalty Avatar
    @iikkayalty

    I understand your point regarding the power switch. That being said, I prefer an on/off switch

    1. @ObiePaddles Avatar
      @ObiePaddles

      Our family is basically a Tesla vehicle one. Walk away, parks etc. A couple of us have hired ICE cars and put them in park, left the car, and come back to a running engine.

      I get we are a dumb family as tesla owners. It is 2026 not 2010 so ‘start / stop’ is no longer required.

    2. @ObiePaddles Avatar
      @ObiePaddles

      @Win7ermu7e that’s (not very) social media for you!

    3. @UnknownUser-rb9pd Avatar
      @UnknownUser-rb9pd

      My Skoda Elroq has both 🙂 .
      I get in the car and tap the brake pedal and it starts (and I have to put a PIN in).
      I get out the car and it puts the car into neutral and switches it off.
      However, you can press the power On switch when you leave the car and it keeps the car powered on if you have passengers who remain in the car (or some other reason I haven’t thought of).
      I assume you then have to press the power Off button to power the car down but haven’t used the button since I got the car.

  20. @agustingaggero5314 Avatar
    @agustingaggero5314

    9:36 Because you have 4 intensity levels for each of the 3 RGB colors (red, green, and blue), giving you 4³ = 64 possible combinations.

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