Nissan Leaf third generation: We review new version of the first mass-market EV that started it all

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It's hard to believe that when this electric car launched it was the first EV and perhaps even harder to believe that the Leaf arrived a decade and a half ago.

The electric car market is a very different place today to what it was in 2010. 

Today there are 140 EVs on the market, and over 1.7million EVs on UK roads. Every segment has EVs on offer, every budget (even the cheap end of the market is starting to be filled), every size, all use cases.

The Leaf arrives to not just reclaim its place as a leader in the EV market, but to help Nissan out of a rough patch. 

The Japanese car giant has had a tumultuous time, having posted a record net loss of £3.8billion last year, and announcing a cost-saving plan in May that includes shutting seven production plants and cutting 20,000 jobs globally.

Can the Sunderland-built Leaf remind people of why Nissan was once a gamechanger in EV production, and put a much-needed injection into its EV sales?   

Freda Lewis-Stempel drove it on the launch in Copenhagen to put it through its paces.

Can the new third-gen Sunderland-built Nissan Leaf remind people why Nissan was once a gamechanger in EV production, and put a much-needed injection into Nissan's EV sales?

What the Leaf has achieved in 15 years 

The Nissan Leaf launched in 2010, at a point when a mass market EV was not exactly the vehicle people were looking to buy.

Nissan's vision was to counteract urbanisation and industrial development by building a car that emitted no tailpipe emissions, and to promote electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

Now as the Leaf arrives in its third generation - the only EV that has this status - its legacy is quite something: In the UK alone the Leaf has sold 71,000 units, 250,000 have been built at Sunderland and there's over one million Leafs on the road worldwide. 

Nissan said in 2014, just four years after the Leaf launched, that owners in 35 countries had saved an estimated $28million in fuel costs to date as well. 

Leaf owners started the trend for Facebook EV forums where owners could share advice, tips, answer questions and help each other - a now popular trend for EV ownership. 

And early adopters were delighted that the Leaf hit the car market with one forward-thinking buyer saying in 2014: 'I was first interested in EVs about 25 years ago but nothing like the Leaf was available then.'

Nissan says the only thing that's the same about this 2025 Leaf and the 2010 Leaf is the nameplate. Not least because it's grown from a hatchback to a crossover and looks entirely different

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How different to the first-gen Leaf is today's third-gen Leaf?

Entirely. In fact, Nissan says the only thing that's the same is the nameplate.

It's grown from a hatchback to a crossover, with an entirely different look - far less bug-like than the then 'futuristic' 2010 Leaf, and is more sculpted, aerodynamic and modern looking than the outdated second-generation that was available from 2018.

The interior is new - from materials to tech to the panoramic roof and sound system - and spaciousness has been improved in the rear and boot.

Safety, which was a big part of the appeal of the original Leaf way back when, has taken drastic steps forward, as has charging and range - the most crucial part of EV purchasing. 

So, as you can see this isn't a slight facelift, it's a completely new car. 

The Leaf is an easy car to drive; it's like having the stabilizers on the bike – you're always taken care of

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How does it drive? 

The Leaf is an easy car to drive; it's like having the stabilizers on the bike – you're always taken care of.

It's a very cushioned ride, taking to Denmark's (admittedly gentle) speedbumps with polished damping, and the steering is well-tuned and weighted.

The Leaf is sprightly enough with 7.6 seconds for 0-62mph on the larger 75kWh battery version. This slows to 8.26 seconds on the 52kWh battery.

I can't say I was excited by the drive, but it's considered and Nissan's smartly made it easy to adapt the regen braking (between four modes) thanks to the flappy paddles on the steering wheel and one-pedal drive is set up how you'd want it, slowing you down nicely in town without any abrupt halts or lagging delays.

The dash is high and extends far backwards though which makes visibility a bit of an issue even for taller people, but the Leaf does have 3D eight-point around view with invisible hood and front wide view which helps counteract this a bit. 

Still, I would have liked a better line of sight over the road. 

One key thing that helps make for a relaxing drive is that the annoying ADAS beeps can be turned off in a two-step process with 'custom mode'.

The Leaf is sprightly enough with 7.6 seconds for 0-62mph on the larger 75kWh battery version. This slows to 8.26 seconds on the 52kWh battery

It's a very cushioned ride, taking to Denmark's (admittedly gentle) speedbumps with polished damping, and the steering is well-tuned and weighted 

One key thing that helps make for a relaxing drive is that the annoying ADAS beeps can be turned off in a two-step process with 'custom mode'

The Leaf comes with intelligent emergency braking, blind sport intervention, rear cross traffic Alert as well as ProPilot Assist with navi-link adaptive cruise control which changes automatically to local speed limits.

I drove the second-generation Leaf a couple of years ago, from London to Wales for a week away, and was surprised then by how there was little body lean, one-pedal mode was very well set up and steering was nicely weighted. It was comfortable too. 

It's good to see that Nissan has kept all of these attributes and that the new Leaf is an equally good all-rounder - they haven't messed it up. 

Interior updates - fresh tech and practicality

The old Leaf's interior was well past its sell by date, reminiscent of a VW Golf from 2015. 

Luckily today's Leaf has a had a pretty thorough gutting and refurb. 

There are two 14.3-inch Google Built-in screens, which are very easy to use because they mimic your smartphone; the system is quick, clear and uncomplicated.

There are also shortcuts along the bottom of the main screen and four buttons in a quad design below the screen.  

The interior comes in two interior trims, black or light - the light would be our preferred choice, especially because it enhances the bright and peaceful effect from the electrochromic tinting panoramic sunroof.

There are two 14.3-inch Google Built-in screens, which are very easy to use because they mimic your smartphone; the system is quick, clear and uncomplicated

The interior is only let down by some of the cheap materials in use, especially on the dash, and that the steering wheel and drive selector buttons appear to be lifted from the year 2018

More spacious: There's 80mm of rear legroom and 40mm of increased rear shoulder room, more interior storage and a bigger boot than the outgoing model

The interior comes in two interior trims, Black or Light - the Light would be our preferred choice, because it enhances the bright and peaceful effect from the electrochromic tinting panoramic sunroof

The most practical interior updates come in the form of the 80mm of rear legroom and 40mm of increased rear shoulder room, more interior storage and a bigger boot.

That's all possible because the Leaf is 10mm wider and 10mm taller than the outgoing model, despite being 14cm shorter, and Nissan's designers have come up with some innovative ideas to create extra space.

The first one being a flat floor (not that that's unique to Nissan or the Leaf), the second is the additional glovebox-style compartment under the central dash for phones, keys and a wallet, and the third is that the 473-litre multi-layered boot is brilliant for storage and has a cubby cut-out for the charging cables.

The interior is only let down by some of the cheap materials in use, especially on the dash, and that the steering wheel and drive selector buttons appear to be lifted from the year 2018. 

Compared to the Citroen e-C5 Aircross I drove right before, the Leaf isn't nearly as premium or cool, but it is still very different than it was before.

Two battery options: The smaller 52kWh battery does 271 miles and the 75kWh battery does 386 miles. These have yet to be confirmed and as always are best case figures - at high speeds this will drop

Range and charging - how can a Leaf now go on a single charge?  

When the Leaf first debuted it could only go 100 miles on a charge and you'd be luckily if you could charge it publicly: there were less than a 1,000 public EV chargers in the UK in 2010.

Despite naysayers, we've come on leaps and bounds and there are over 86,000 public charging points as of September.

The Leaf has also come on leaps and bounds with its range, offering 271 miles for the smaller 52kWh battery and 386 miles for the bigger 75kWh battery. 

These have yet to be confirmed and as always are best case figures - flat out at motorway speeds and you'll see those estimates come down.

But charging times are decent at ultra-rapid 150kW speeds, with both battery sizes charging from 20 to 80 per cent in less than 30 minutes.

On a 7.4kW charger, you'll get a 10 to 100 per cent charge done in 8.5 hours for the smaller battery and 11.5 hours for the bigger battery.

ECG expected: Nissan is confident the Government will award the Leaf the highest £3,750 Electric Car Grant which will mean that the Leaf will start at £29,250 and £32,250 respectively once the grant is taken into account

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Nissan is confident that the Leaf will receive Labour's full Electric Car Grant, which would see it be discounted for buyers by £3,750.

Why? Because the sustainable grant favours EVs and batteries built in Europe, and both the Leaf itself and its battery are built next door to each other at Nissan's Sunderland sites.

The manufacturing carbon footprint of the Leaf is therefore lower, and 20 per cent renewable energy is used for every car - getting the Leaf bonus points.

The Leaf is expected to start at £33,000 for the 52kWh version and £36,000 for the 75kWh version before the discount is automatically applied.

Once it is applied the Leaf versions will start at £29,250 and £32,250 respectively. 

The first Leaf received a £5,000 government grant back in the day, costing £23,350 once it was applied. 

While the new grant isn't as much it does mark the return of EV incentives and helps bring down the cost. 

Orders are expected to open in December and first deliveries will begin in February 2026. 

Most impressively the Leaf is competitive in a market where there are now 140 EVs on offer. That alone is some feat considering when the Leaf launched it was competing against only itself.

Cars and Motoring Verdict: Has the Leaf kept up with the times?

I'm happy to say: yes it has. 

It would be quite depressing to have to say it had been left behind, a bit like a high street chain that was once everywhere and then disappeared because it failed to adapt to changing tastes and fashions. 

We didn't want the Leaf to become the Woolworths of the car world, and luckily it hasn't.

It's not the absolute bees knees but it's a very good, and also a pleasantly different looking EV - the sporty-style back is a welcome change to the boxy SUV look. 

Most impressively it's competitive in a market where there are now 140 EVs on offer. That alone is some feat considering when the Leaf launched it was competing against only itself. 

I genuinely hope some plucky first-gen Leaf owners are now wanting to buy the third-gen.