Nissan Leaf Overview: Specs, Generations and Which One to Buy
A guide to nissan leaf generations from 2009 to present: five-door electric hatchback with 109–218 hp, plus advice on which version to choose.
The Nissan Leaf is a five-door electric hatchback produced from 2009 to the present, with power outputs ranging from 109 to 218 hp across four generations. If you are researching nissan leaf specs before buying, the model suits drivers who want a compact, front-wheel-drive electric car with an automatic transmission in every version — from an affordable used first-generation commuter to a quicker modern hatchback.
Nissan Leaf generations
1 generation (2009–2017)
The first-generation Nissan Leaf was built from 2009 to 2017 as a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive and an automatic transmission, offered in 3 modifications. Every version uses a single 109 hp electric motor, so the power range of the generation is flat at 109 hp from the base car to the top one. The Nissan Leaf AT (109 hp) accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and was both the mass-market and the most powerful version of the generation.
2 generation (2017–2022)
The second-generation Nissan Leaf ran from 2017 to 2022, again as a five-door front-wheel-drive electric hatchback with an automatic transmission, in 2 modifications spanning 150 to 218 hp. The volume version, the Nissan Leaf AT (218 hp), reaches 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds — a substantial step over the first generation's 11.5 seconds, and the base 150 hp car already outpowers any first-generation Leaf by 41 hp.
2 generation, restyling (2022–present)
The restyled second generation has been in production since 2022, keeping the five-door hatchback body, front-wheel drive, the automatic transmission and the 150–218 hp range across 2 modifications. The Nissan Leaf AT (218 hp) of this series posts the same 7.3-second sprint to 100 km/h as the pre-restyling car.
3 generation (2025–present)
The third-generation Nissan Leaf launched in 2025 as a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, an automatic transmission and 2 modifications from 177 to 217 hp. The Nissan Leaf AT (217 hp) is the mass version and accelerates to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. Even the base 177 hp modification of this generation is stronger than any first-generation car and the 150 hp entry versions of the second generation.
Which Nissan Leaf to buy
- AT (109 hp) (1 generation): the mass version of 2009–2017 with 109 hp and 11.5 seconds to 100 km/h — the simplest entry point into the model range, since all 3 modifications of the generation share the same output.
- AT (218 hp) (2 generation): 218 hp and 7.3 seconds to 100 km/h, the volume version of the 2017–2022 cars and the top of the model's entire 109–218 hp range.
- AT (218 hp) (2 generation, restyling): the same 218 hp and 7.3-second acceleration in the freshest 2022–present body before the generation change.
- AT (217 hp) (3 generation): the current mass version from 2025 with 217 hp and 7.6 seconds to 100 km/h — the newest Nissan Leaf you can buy.
On the used market the picture is straightforward: the first generation (2009–2017) is the longest-produced and simplest choice to shop for, since every one of its versions carries the same 109 hp motor, automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, so there are no trim-level powertrain surprises. Second-generation cars from 2017 onward add a wide 150–218 hp spread, so check which of the 2 modifications you are looking at before comparing prices. All four generations are purely electric five-door hatchbacks with front-wheel drive, so the choice comes down to budget, model year and the 109–218 hp output you need.