2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Review, Specs, Dimensions – Our Nissan Leaf operated without a hitch during the process. We didn’t even need to go to the dealer because standard gas automobiles don’t have many fluids to change. When we turned in our tester, the normal 7,500-mile free multi-point inspection was about to expire.
When the weather became bad, we replaced the normal 17-inch Michelin Energy Saver all-season tires with Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 winter tires to protect our small front driver. A tire rotation would normally have been necessary for this.
Compared to standard internal combustion car maintenance periods, owning a battery electric vehicle promised even less dealer visits, which our Leaf more than met. An EV like the Leaf can be your salvation if you detest visiting dealers. 2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Review
2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior & Interior
Any issues with our Leaf’s dependability were caused by the charging network we connected to, not by our test vehicle. Both yours and our EIC In April of last year, a pay-for-juice Greenlots rapid charger malfunctioned when the automobile got home after a snowy drive. Despite installing Level 2 charging stations in our garages, we ran into a difficulty with the infrastructure.
“Clearly Nissan bears no fault there, but I present this story as an example of the sorts of compromises an EV early adopter will need to consider when road-tripping,” Tim Stevens remarked. I encountered a similar difficulty at an Ann Arbor ChargePoint station, but thankfully I was able to find another close, therefore the issue was alleviated.
The vehicle “…delivered solid range, meeting or exceeding its 151-mile EPA rating” in the warmer months, according to our guy Stevens. Naturally, Range fell victim to the terrible cold during the harsh Michigan winter that spanned much of my time with our long-term Leaf.Driving range instantly decreased to as low as 72 miles, a 52 percent reduction, depending on the amount of highway travel required. However, it only applied if the car was left parked overnight in subfreezing temperatures.
Longer journeys may force you to halt, but range loss may be reduced with simple fixes like making sure the battery was completely charged overnight. Using the app to pre-heat the car while it was still plugged in and parking it in the garage was also simpler. Finally, if you have an L2 charger at home or at work, there are a lot of benefits to not having to stand outdoors in the cold at petrol stations.
Overall, we discovered that adjusting to the Leaf way of life was very simpler than one may have imagined. The Nissan’s (relatively) thin tires and the electric motor’s inherently linear, smooth power delivery make winter driving a pleasure. The worst stoplight-to-stoplight motion we could find was easily managed by the car’s ample torque from a dead stop.
The Leaf not only performed exceptionally well on the city loop but also demonstrated strong passing power and minimal wind noise on the highway. Since there is no normal IC powertrain noise to stop those currents, the second is very crucial yet challenging to control in an EV. In this instance, the Leaf also benefited greatly from the previously stated ProPilot Assist.
2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Specs
Engine & Performance
With the 2026 Nissan Leaf Plus, this problem and any possible winter range blues seem to be fixed. A much healthier 226 miles of range is provided by its bigger 62-kWh battery (higher, heavier trims have a range of just 215 miles). Delivered, the basic S Plus trim costs $37,445 and has more power and standard equipment. We would advise carefully considering the Plus if you live in an area that has a lot of snowfall. However, cars like Kia’s incredible new 2026 Niro EV ($39,495 delivered), a somewhat bigger crossover with a 239-mile range, are also beginning to compete with the Plus.
We were particularly interested in the second-generation Leaf’s ProPilot Assist and E-Pedal capabilities for long-term testing. With both, we have plenty to be grateful for. We were able to stop in more than 90% of normal driving situations without ever using the brake pedal because of the powerful regenerative braking provided by E-Pedal, a driver-selectable function.
The same was true on slopes. Crucially, we did notice some variation in the feel of the brake pedal based on the battery’s charge level, but it was never bad enough to irritate us. Actually, using the E-Pedal to increase range was generally enjoyable.
I urged you to temporarily put aside the idea that purchasing an electric car will have any positive environmental effects at the beginning of this tale. Given the consequences of purchasing an EV like this Leaf, it is obviously both impossible and pointless.
Many potential buyers find that going green is a compelling enough reason to expressly search for vehicles like the Nissan Leaf seen above. We believe there are many reasons to purchase an EV, such as the ease of avoiding repair shops and petrol stations, the electric power’s high torque, the low noise levels, and the enjoyable driving characteristics.
2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Fuel Economy
A 2026 model begins at $30,885 delivered before incentives, making our 2018 Leaf one among the most inexpensive EVs on the market even if its 40kWh battery pack isn’t the longest in its class. 2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Review
2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Safety Features
It was really helpful to have Nissan’s ProPilot Assist suite of hands-on driving aids, which includes adaptive cruise control and lane-centering. When there were appropriate lane markings, this Level 2 approach was easy to use and reasonably consistent in keeping the middle of the lane.
The painted marks disappeared, but it still worked well. We didn’t make many office mistakes because of the travel, but when we did, the Leaf made things a lot simpler.
The Leaf’s lane-departure warning system, which rattles the steering wheel when it senses a driver is departing their lane, was one feature we didn’t particularly enjoy.
In my update from February, I said that “… the motor responsible for the vibration is so loud that passengers notice and react regardless, and the quality of the sound itself feels decidedly subpremium, like some sort of overseas telephone busy signal.” Perhaps Nissan will take care of this issue soon since it appears to be a fairly simple remedy. 2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Review
2026 Nissan Leaf Plus Release Date & Price
After a year and thousands of kilometers, we have a good idea of what it’s like to live an electric existence. For a while, disregard the environmental benefits of purchasing an electric vehicle. Our experience with the 2018 Nissan Leaf shows that there are a number of other reasons to switch to electric vehicles. We discovered several reasons to like the electric life over the course of thousands of kilometers and all four seasons.
Arriving in April 2018, our fully outfitted, pricey SL model—which sold for $38,115—was exquisitely painted in Deep Blue Pearl. We thought right away that the second-generation Leaf’s more family-oriented design was far more enjoyable and well-balanced, even though it wasn’t as bold and provocative as its predecessor. This favorable impression persisted all year long.
We drove 8,000 miles and thousands of kilowatt hours over our twelve months in New York and Michigan, which is about what you would expect from a daily driver. In addition to running errands at Home Depot and driving the Leaf through thick snow last autumn, we also used this hatchback as the official vehicle for our editor-in-chief’s unofficial doughnut vs. cider test.
Note: The details included in this blog post are derived from pre-release material that was accessible when the article was written. If you want the latest information, you should check official sources or call your nearest dealership.
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