Kia EV3's biggest competition yet? 2026 Nissan Leaf electric car revealed as an SUV that will take on MG ZS EV replacement, Hyundai Kona Electric and more

Nissan has outlined plans for the all-important replacement for its pioneering Leaf electric car.

The Japanese carmaker has released initial images and high-level details for its next EV as part of a wider announcement confirming details of its global new-model rollout.

Approximate timing has been locked in for the Australian market, with Nissan confirming the next Leaf will hit our shores in the 2026 Japanese fiscal year, which means some time between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027.

As expected, the next-gen Leaf will shift from a small hatchback body style to a “family friendly" compact SUV for its third generation.

The Leaf was previewed by Nissan’s Chill-Out EV concept from 2021, but the design has evolved to a production-ready model.

While it looks related to its larger Ariya EV stablemate, the new Leaf takes on a fresh design with a rounded off bonnet and smiley face front end, closed grille and LED headlights running the width of the car.

The SUV body style is highlighted by the elevated ride height and cladding covering the lower part of the car, and it also features a swept up and high-set bootlip and two-tone paint job - black roof and an aqua body.

The only specs Nissan has revealed are 19-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic sunroof.

Underpinning the next Leaf will be Nissan and Renault’s shared CMF-EV platform that forms the basis of the Nissan Ariya and the Renault Megane E-Tech.

Nissan has not revealed any details about the powertrain, other than to say “Efficient energy management, streamlined packaging and enhanced driving performance” will help improve driving range compared with the second-gen Leaf.

The EV powertrain found in the Megane E-Tech, for example, includes a 60kWh battery pack, delivering a WLTP range of 454km in combined driving conditions and it comes with a single 160kW/320Nm electric motor on the front axle.

With the shift to an SUV body style, the Leaf will now face more rivals than just the BYD Dolphin, GWM Ora and MG MG4 the outgoing Leaf battled.

It will now compete with the likes of the Chery Omoda E5, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3, Jeep Avenger, upcoming MGS5 EV and more Chinese EVs that are expected to land before then.

The current generation Leaf hatch was discontinued in Australia last year after going on sale here in mid-2019.

The outgoing second-gen Leaf was essentially an overhauled version of the original model that debuted in 2010.