It will join a growing lineup of electrified Nissans.
For many years, the Nissan Leaf was the best-selling electric vehicle in the world. That was until the Tesla Model 3 overtook it. Still, the Leaf has been a major success. Last year, the 500,000th example of the Leaf rolled off the production line. Right now, it's also tremendous value for money. But the Leaf's oddball hatchback styling means it's never going to attain the heights it once did. Perhaps that's why the Leaf's replacement won't be a hatchback but a more trendy crossover. That's according to Nissan's Europe boss, Guillaume Cartier. The crossover will be based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's CMF-EV platform.
According to Autocar, we can expect the Leaf's crossover replacement to arrive in 2025. By that time, Nissan will have a comprehensive lineup of electric crossovers that will include the stylish Ariya. Earlier this year, Nissan teased a coupe-style electric crossover that will be built in Sunderland, UK, and it's this model that will replace the Leaf. The Leaf SUV replacement forms part of a £1 billion investment in the Sunderland plant.
Other Nissan SUVs that will be electrified by the middle of this decade include the Juke, Qashqai, X-Trail, and Ariya. Of course, most of these nameplates are not sold in the United States.
As the new electric crossover will replace the Leaf, it's not explicitly clear whether the Leaf name itself will be binned or if the new model will get a new name of its own. The electric crossover teased back in July shared some of its styling elements with the Ariya such as the large wheel arches. At the time, Nissan said that this SUV would be built for global markets, indicating that it would make it stateside.
In 2019, Nissan was testing a prototype of the Leaf with dual electric motors and all-wheel drive. Producing 308 horsepower, it was a lot more powerful than the production Leaf on sale currently. The next Leaf - if the name is retained - certainly has big shoes to fill.
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