Nissan Leaf Is Getting A Glow Up So Impressive It Couldn’t Wait To Show Us

Nissan is struggling right now, and needs to make inroads with consumers if it wants to, you know, exist long term. The brand announced a bold plan to launch ten new models across the next 18 or so months on Wednesday, and based on early looks the designers are going hard on smooth, eye-catching language. The first of Nissan’s new products is the long-promised Leaf EV revamp, and it just might be the greatest glow up in automotive history. The Leaf, once the best-selling EV on Earth, has trundled along relatively unchanged since its launch in 2010. Despite a facelift and some improvement in battery chemistry and efficiency across the last 15 years, the Leaf was left in the dust of the rapidly evolving EV market, and Nissan absolutely needed a change for the model. This new Leaf appears to be the shot in the arm that it needed to keep going. 

The new Leaf will be larger than the outgoing compact hatchback, and more SUV-styled to appeal to U.S. buyers while maintaining the efficient and economical ethos that it has always held. This “third-generation” Leaf will be built on a slightly smaller version of the brand’s Ariya electric crossover platform, dubbed CMF-EV. This will also be the first Nissan to receive a North American Charging Standard plug, so it will be able to interface with every charging network in the U.S. In spite of the new car’s larger footprint, Nissan says it will be even more aerodynamic and efficient than the outgoing Leaf. As a former Leaf owner, I approve of this car’s new look, particularly in this bright and vibrant teal color. 

The revamped Leaf is just one piece of Nissan’s renewed efforts in the electric-vehicle market. Overseas the brand will get a sub-Leaf electric Micra based on the Renault 5 EV platform, and a built-in-America larger-than-Ariya “adventure-focused” electric SUV—likely with three rows—will join the lineup in 2027. 

The next-gen Leaf will be joining the Nissan lineup later in 2025, with more announcements about pricing and range to be made “mid-year” according to the brand’s press release. Also coming this year is a plug-in hybrid version of the brand’s popular Rogue crossover, a new Sentra, and a refresh of the Pathfinder. Nissan’s lineup has remained too stagnant for too long, but that doldrum cycle for the brand appears to be at its end. It’s too early to say if the new Leaf will be the hit that Nissan needs it to be, but based on the first looks shown here, I’m optimistic.