Nissan Leaf review

Overview

The Nissan Leaf is an electric hatchback with 5 seats, a 39 kWh battery and a quoted WLTP range of 165 miles. On paper it suits drivers whose mileage is mostly local and who can charge at home. Prices start at around £28,000, with leases quoted from about £209 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 UK 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 volume is typical of the class: fine for a weekly shop and a couple of cases.

Range & charging

The quoted WLTP range is 165 miles 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 motorway 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 0–60mph time is 7.9 seconds, which puts it below average 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 £28,000 to £35,000, with three-year-old used examples from around £9,500 and leases quoted from £209 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 mileage, fuel price and charging setup — the cost calculator does that maths properly.