British-built Nissan Leaf returns with sleek styling and longer range

On sale Late 2025 | Price from £33,000 (est)

The Nissan Leaf once held the title as the world’s best-selling electric car – but since its UK launch back in 2011 the world has changed, and it’s no longer the go-to EV. But with this new third-generation model, Nissan intends to recapture those glory days.

In these official images, one thing is clear: the Nissan Leaf is all grown up, with a sleek look that’s a world away from the cutesy original Leaf and conservatively-styled second-generation model. But beauty is more than skin deep here, because the car has been designed to slip through the air as efficiently as possible.

The new Nissan Leaf will share its underpinnings with Nissan Ariya SUV – the firm’s most recent electric car – so it’s likely it will be offered with the choice of the same two batteries. In the Ariya, the 63kWh (usable capacity) battery can officially manage around 250 miles on a charge, while the 87kWh battery increases this to around 330 miles.

However, speaking to our sister title, Autocar, Nissan’s European product boss said it would have a range of more than 372 miles. Either way, the new Leaf will mark a significant improvement over the 239 miles the previous Leaf could muster in its longest-range form.

In sharing the same underpinnings with the Ariya, it’s highly likely that the new Leaf will use the same infotainment system, although in the Ariya we found it slow to boot up and lacking the sharp graphics and user-friendliness of the rival Tesla Model Y. It’s likely to use some of the same safety features as the Ariya as well, including Nissan’s ProPilot autonomous driving technology.

Leafs sold in Europe will be built in Sunderland, a factory which Nissan describes as “a flagship EV hub” which will combine car and battery production powered by renewable energy.

Nissan hasn’t confirmed pricing of the new Leaf, but the launch of the smaller Nissan Micra EV could allow Nissan to increase the price of the car, potentially pushing it closer to the Ariya. That could mean a starting price of around £33,000.

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