THE LEAF BRIEF(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 49

Having rather lost its way with electric cars, Nissan is now back with a third generation LEAF model that aims to return to the sharp end of the family hatch EV class. There's everything you might expect from a LEAF - but also perhaps, a lot that you wouldn't.

Background word count: 161

When the history books on the origins of electric cars are written, one early model will be prominent: the Nissan LEAF. First launched back in 2010 and followed up by second generation version in 2018, it's been described as the 'godfather' of electric cars - the very first volume-selling mainstream family EV. It was once the only game in town if you wanted a spacious electric hatch, but latterly has been a forgotten player in an over-stuffed market full of more modern EV alternatives. A market this third generation model, announced in summer 2025, must approach with new perspective. Having pioneered this segment, it seems curious that this struggling Japanese maker should have let others profit from it, but the lethargy in building on the LEAF legacy has at least allowed Nissan to wait for the more mature battery technology needed for EVs to become a more genuine combustion alternative. Which, we're assured, is exactly what this third generation model is.