Next-Gen Nissan Leaf Unveiled as a Sporty Coupe SUV Crossover

The beloved Nissan Leaf EV has been transformed into a sporty coupe SUV crossover for its third-gen iteration.

Despite being in a financial turmoil, Japanese automaker Nissan soldiers on with an entirely new business plan, where it will see no less than thirteen models debuting in the next few years. One of those models is the latest iteration of its beloved all-electric nameplate, the Nissan Leaf, which has transformed from a family EV hatch into a sporty coupe EV SUV crossover for its third-gen redux.

The new Leaf is based on one of Nissan’s sleek concept models known as the Chill-Out concept from 2021, where it features a sleek coupe SUV bodystyle that looks far more radical and daring compared to the hatchback bodystyle on the current-gen Leaf. Unlike the concept, the new Leaf SUV does gain some design cues from Nissan’s current crop of EVs like the Ariya, thus indicating its close-to-production state.

Some key design highlights include the Toyota-ish C-shaped LED headlights with an LED DRL light bar, a grill-less front face with prominent lower air intakes, flushed front door handles and hidden rear ones, a chiselled bonnet that connects to its high shoulderline, and many more. Given its new SUV bodystyle, the new Leaf can now be opted with wheels up to 19 inches in size.

With only two official images published, there’s nothing much we can derive about the new Nissan Leaf, but the Yokohama-based marque promises to reveal more details regarding this sleek EV SUV. With that being said, Nissan did confirm that the new Leaf will ride on the same Common Modular Family (CMF-EV) platform as the Ariya with an upgraded battery management system, as well as Nissan’s new three-in-one EV powertrain setup.

The third-gen Nissan Leaf is expected to make its global debut in the North America market sometime later this year, followed by other overseas markets like Japan and Europe later in 2026. As of now, no news on its exact arrival to the Asian markets, but we’re expected to gain more information about the new Leaf as we get closer to its global debut date.