Nissan Leaf review
The Nissan Leaf is an electric hatchback with 5 seats, a 39 kWh battery and a quoted WLTP range of 265 km. On paper it suits drivers whose distance is mostly local and who can charge at home. Prices start at around A$57,400, with leases quoted from about A$450 a month.
Figures checked:
How we write this: every figure here comes from published manufacturer specifications, and the write-up is a structured comparison of those numbers against every other EV we hold for this market. We don't road test cars, so you won't find driving impressions here — just the maths, shown openly. Read our full methodology.
- From
- A$57,400
- WLTP range
- 265 km
- Battery
- 39 kWh
- 0–100 km/h
- 7.9s
- Body
- hatchback
- Seats
- 5
- Boot
- 435 L
- Lease from
- A$450/mo
Overview
The Nissan Leaf is an electric hatchback with 5 seats, a 39 kWh battery and a quoted WLTP range of 265 km. On paper it suits drivers whose distance is mostly local and who can charge at home. Prices start at around A$57,400, with leases quoted from about A$450 a month.
Its headline specification point is straightforward: huge used supply makes it the cheapest way into EVs. The sections below break the published figures down and set them against the other electric cars in our Australian database.
Design & practicality
Bodystyle is a hatchback with 5 seats and 435 litres of boot space. Against every EV in the database that puts it below average for outright carrying capacity, and among the very best among other hatchbacks.
Boot space volume is typical of the class: fine for a weekly shop and a couple of cases.
Range & charging
The quoted WLTP range is 265 km from 39 kWh of usable-plus-buffer capacity — among the weakest in the database for distance between charges. Real-world figures are typically 10–25% lower in cold weather and at sustained highway speeds.
That is a small battery, which suits shorter trips and slower rapid charging. As with any EV, the running-cost picture depends far more on whether you can charge at home overnight than on the charging speed itself.
Performance
The published 0–100 km/h time is 7.9 seconds, which puts it among the weakest for acceleration here and makes it adequate rather than rapid by the numbers. Electric drivetrains deliver that pull instantly from a standstill, so town-speed responses tend to feel stronger than the figure suggests.
Tech & features
We score cabin technology at 6/10 based on published equipment levels, which is among the weakest across the database. The specification highlight is that huge used supply makes it the cheapest way into EVs.
Infotainment is mainstream rather than cutting edge: smartphone mirroring and the expected assistance systems, without headline software features.
Price & value
New prices run from A$57,400 to A$71,750, with three-year-old used examples from around A$19,500 and leases quoted from A$450 a month. That sits at the affordable end of the electric cars in this database, and the middle of the hatchbacks specifically.
Our value score, which weighs the price against range, space and equipment, is 9/10. Whether it works out cheaper than your current car depends on your distance, fuel price and charging setup — the cost calculator does that maths properly.
Pros & cons
Generated from how this car scores against every other EV in our database on range, price, space, performance, tech and value.
- Priced at the affordable end, from A$57,400
- High value score (9/10) for what you pay
- huge used supply makes it the cheapest way into EVs
- Short WLTP range of 265 km
- Limited space: 435 litre boot space, 5 seats
- Leisurely acceleration at 7.9s to 100 km/h
- Basic cabin technology (6/10)
See how this compares to other EVs
Run the running-cost numbers against your current petrol or diesel car, or let the recommender rank this against every other EV for your budget and distance.
Compare with another model
Set the Nissan Leaf against a close rival on price, range, battery, space and pace — all from published specifications.
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