The Nissan Leaf is a spacious, comfortable compact car with a notable legacy, helping make electric vehicles (EVs) affordable. To that end, it’s on the modest side in terms of range and features. Competitors include the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Fiat 500e.
2025 Nissan Leaf Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2025 Nissan Leaf
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2025 Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf carries over unchanged for the 2025 model year. Its last significant updates were in 2023, when the exterior and cabin styling were refreshed. The Leaf is a small electric hatchback with a primary goal of keeping the price tag low. That makes it a good EV for buyers with short commutes who can charge at home, but it’s definitely showing its age in every way, from styling to features to battery and charging technology.
Design
The Leaf features a traditional hatchback shape, more for practicality than for aesthetic appeal. The most recent styling updates emphasized the brand’s signature styling elements, including the V-Motion grille despite the fact that an EV doesn’t need a grille. There’s little else to note about the Leaf’s design, other than that it comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels and is available with 17-inch alloys.
Powertrain
Each of the Leaf’s two trims gets its own powertrain. The base Leaf S combines a single electric motor and a 40-kWh battery. That yields 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, and a paltry 149-mile range that’s well below the class average. The Leaf SV Plus gets a bigger motor and a 60-kWh battery, good for 214 hp and 250 lb-ft, as well as a 212-mile range. Both versions use a single-speed transmission and front-wheel drive (FWD). It takes about an hour to charge the Leaf to 80 percent, though the charging technology is on the slow side, overall.
Interior
The Nissan Leaf seats five. The cabin is more spacious than it looks, though it feels a little on the cheap side. The seats are comfortable and supportive. Cloth upholstery and manual adjustments come standard, and upgrades like heated front seats and a power-adjustable driver’s seat cost extra. It’s perfectly functional, but that excess black plastic trim is a constant reminder that the Leaf puts function above form. Cargo capacity is generous for the class, at 23.6 cubic feet.
Technology
The Nissan Leaf features a basic, user-friendly infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. A four-speaker audio system also comes standard. The higher SV Plus trim includes navigation and an upgraded audio system with six speakers. Other optional features include a 7-inch driver-information display, satellite radio, and Bluetooth.
