Nissan is pressing its value play in the EV market with the all-new 2026 Leaf, which arrives at U.S. dealers this fall with an S+ starting MSRP of $29,990. The company says that is the lowest entry price for any new electric vehicle currently on sale in the United States, and it undercuts the 2011 Leaf’s $32,780 sticker despite three generations of added tech and range. “We’ve stuck to our mission of engineering EVs that are affordable but packed with value,” said Vinay Shahani, Nissan’s senior vice president of U.S. marketing and sales.
The mid-tier SV+ is priced at $34,230, which Nissan notes is $1,960 less than the 2025 Leaf SV PLUS while adding more standard equipment and longer driving range. A new Platinum+ tops the lineup at $38,990. Pricing for an entry S grade will be announced later.
Headline numbers improve where it matters most. Nissan targets up to 303 miles of range per charge, and the car is built with North American Charging Standard hardware and Plug & Charge for simplified sessions. The company says Leaf owners will have seamless access to more than 20,000 Tesla Superchargers, positioning the hatchback for everyday commutes and longer trips with less planning friction.
Design moves the Leaf into cleaner, more streamlined territory. Motorized flush door handles appear on a Nissan production model for the first time, a curved roofline carries a katana blade flourish that nods to the Z sports car, and a dimming panoramic roof can switch from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button, which Nissan calls a segment first. Inside, an open, flat floor and reshaped seats free up second-row knee room, while dual screens scale by trim, with 12.3-inch displays on S and S+, and a 14.3-inch unit on SV+ and Platinum+.
On the tech front, available Google built-in brings Google Maps and Intelligent Route Planner into the native interface, reducing reliance on phone mirroring. New camera features arrive as standard equipment, including Nissan’s class-exclusive Intelligent Around View Monitor, an Invisible Hood View that stitches images to show the space directly ahead of the bumper, and a Front Wide View intended to aid visibility at tight exits.
Taken together, the 2026 Leaf doubles down on Nissan’s original pitch for mass-market electrification, pairing a lower price with longer range, quicker charging access, and a more premium presentation. Full specifications and option details are expected to follow as the model heads to showrooms this fall.
