New Nissan Leaf Revealed as Third-Generation Electric Crossover

“This is an important moment for me,” said Nissan’s incoming CEO, Ivan Espinosa. Previously responsible for global product planning, he will shortly take the top job and unveil a refreshed Nissan range that he and his team hope will turn around the Japanese manufacturer’s fortunes.

Leading that charge is this car: the all-new, third-generation Leaf. Nissan’s long-running electric car, and one of the first mainstream EV pioneers, has been reworked into a larger, taller, aerodynamically efficient crossover with substantial range and plenty of technology.

Third-generation Nissan Leaf: platform, powertrain and range

Platform devotees will be pleased to hear that the new Leaf uses the same underpinnings as the Ariya EV: the CMF-EV architecture. Nissan is keeping further engineering information under wraps for now, however, including battery capacities, power figures, acceleration times and even additional images.

It has confirmed the powertrain’s basics and expected range, though. The former is Nissan’s ‘3-in-1’ arrangement, which combines the motor, inverter and reducer into a modular unit. As for range, the company’s vehicle programme chief, Francois Bailly, told TopGear.com that it should manage 600 km – or 373 miles – from one charge. That’s… decent.

A “confident EV drive”, he said, was a central principle in developing the new Leaf. By ‘drive’, he did not mean charging through bends at the limit, but being able to cover long journeys without anxiety. “Highway is the key for us,” he said, while stressing that this would not come at the cost of other abilities.

Nissan Leaf design and equipment

Styling was the other key influence on the new Leaf, which has clearly matured since the modest original of 2010. It is about 15 cm shorter than today’s model, yet it is naturally far more upright. Aerodynamic efficiency has been given major priority, reflected in the clean front end and flowing roofline. It also has a much more modern Nissan appearance, closer to that of the Ariya. There are only two images to assess at this early point, but you get the... picture.

Beyond its smart new exterior, the Leaf will feature 19-inch wheels – 19-inch wheels on a Leaf! – plus a panoramic “moonroof”. In the US, it will also receive a NACS charging port, enabling access to Tesla chargers and greatly improving its appeal for longer trips.

Nissan’s turnaround and Sunderland production

Its broader appeal matters, too. As mentioned, it forms part of the new model range that Espinosa and his team hope will restore Nissan’s fortunes, amid challenges that will be familiar to many. “There’s several things that we have to work on,” he told TopGear.com of the company’s current position. “One is the stability of our revenue flow. The second thing is cost - cost has to be improved. The third is speed, shortening our development cycle.

“And fourth is the additional measures of the turnaround. You will hear about that in due course. There’s a lot of work to be done in communications externally and internally, employee morale also needs to be improved.

“As you see I’ve got a bunch of things to take care of,” he added.

Nissan’s global performance boss, Guillame Cartier, told TG: “The belief in the turnaround is here. What is important is how we can communicate, how we can be understood. The noise on Nissan was not always positive, whereas there is a lot of positivity to give, starting with the product.”

This particular model will be built in England at Nissan’s Sunderland factory, which is becoming the brand’s “flagship EV hub”, before going on sale in Europe later this year. It will arrive alongside the ‘audacious’ new Micra, now a full EV, and a forthcoming new Juke, both previewed below.

“To our passionate fans and loyal owners around the world, I can assure you, this is just the beginning of an exciting journey ahead,” Espinosa said.