When Nissan first delivered images of the new third-generation Leaf, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor because this is a glow up of epic proportions. And speaking of proportions, my initial reaction was that the Leaf had done a bit of bulking ahead of beach season, converting from a staid and underwhelming hatchback to the crossover on everyone's to-do list. The new design is an impressive step forward for Nissan, and finally visually aligns the Leaf with Nissan's Ariya, setting the tone for the next decade of Nissan design — you know, if it lasts that long. My initial impression from the images presented by Nissan is that the Leaf got larger to play in the Tesla Model Y and Chevrolet Equinox EV sandbox, a feeling corroborated by Edmunds making the same comparison, but the actual dimensions of the new third-generation Leaf indicate a different story altogether. It got smaller.
According to Nissan's spec table on the 2026 Leaf, the new vehicle is 173.4 inches in length, 71.3 inches in width, and 61 inches in height, with a 105.9-inch wheelbase. Compare these numbers to a 2025 Leaf, which Nissan measures at 176.4 inches in length, 70.5 inches in width, 60.6 inches in height, with a 106.3-inch wheelbase. While the new-look Leaf has gotten about half an inch wider and a third of an inch taller, it's actually a couple of inches down on length with a slightly shorter wheelbase. Not only does that mean the new Leaf is smaller, but the engineers managed to push the wheels further outboard. It's nice that an automaker is actually developing a new generation of a car without making it larger, even if it gives the impression of being larger.
If you need some context for those numbers, the Leaf is 15 inches shorter in length and four inches narrower than a Model Y, or 17 inches shorter in length and four inches shorter in height than a Chevrolet Equinox EV. The Leaf is dimensionally similar to a Mazda 3 hatchback, for example, though a couple of inches taller.
Nissan obviously had to do something to kick Leaf sales into gear, and this redesign will probably be a major boon for the compact EV. The new corporate design language is nice, while the standard black wheels, larger wheel arches, and black plastic cladding help visually hide the lower half of the car, adding to the impression of height. This definitely isn't a crossover-sized machine, though it has some crossover proportions. The new liftback rear end does away with the old hatchback's utility, but consumers will prefer the coupe-like sloping rear anyway, and it helps with aerodynamic efficiency to get more miles out of the battery pack (now up to 303), so it's not all bad.
In summation, the new Leaf looks good. It looks bigger, despite actually being smaller, and the design language used here helps explain why. Nissan knocked it out of the park with this redesign, and I think this will go a long way toward bringing the Leaf back to the top of the EV sales charts. It's a smaller Ariya, and that's a good thing.