Nissan unveiled its third-generation Leaf earlier this year, but we were allowed some initial drive impressions on Wednesday. Of course, the first thing that stands out about the new Leaf is its design. Nissan says it’s adopting a subcompact crossover style instead of the hatchback style in the previous two iterations.
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the quirky design of the first-generation Leaf, but the design was polarizing to say the least. The second-generation Leaf was more widely palatable, but bland and almost forgettable. The design team at Nissan stepped up hugely with the 2026 Leaf, channeling looks from the Nissan Ariya, which shares the same EV platform.