Nissan in 2026: Leaf, Micra and Juke lead the electric offensive

Nissan enters 2026 at a delicate point in its recent history. Following several years of poor results and turbulent leadership, the arrival of a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, in 2025 launched a global restructuring programme that remains under way but is already delivering positive results.

Those results provide the impetus to press on and move faster. The Japanese manufacturer has opted for the traditional response to pressure: attack. It will do so with new products, and in the European market that means three new fully electric models.

The offensive is built around familiar, well-established names, albeit with a decisive change of direction: the Leaf, Micra and Juke will all compete in the same electric arena. They cover three different segments, share one underlying technology and pursue the same goal: restoring relevance in a market where electric cars are no longer niche products, but account for an ever-growing proportion of total sales.

Leaf reinvents itself with greater ambition

The new Nissan Leaf represents a significant turning point. The model that helped bring electric cars to a wider audience in 2010 returns in 2026 with a different role: it leaves behind the compact saloon format and becomes a crossover with more rugged - and aerodynamic - styling, in keeping with current European tastes. This is therefore more than simply another generation; it is an attempt to reposition a historic name in a far more competitive market.

It arrives in Portugal during the first quarter with two power outputs - 130 kW (177 hp) and 160 kW (218 hp) - and two battery options, 52 kWh and 75 kWh, claiming respective WLTP ranges of up to 436 km and 622 km.

Prices have not yet been announced, but we have already driven Nissan’s third-generation electric model:

The first ever fully electric Micra

We have also seen the new Nissan Micra in person (see the video below). Another historic name for the brand, it becomes fully electric in this new generation and will, for now, serve as Nissan’s entry point to electric mobility in Europe.

Built on the same technical platform as the Renault 5, with which it shares virtually everything, it sets itself apart through distinctive front and rear styling rather than taking the easy route of pure nostalgia. Even so, the brand makes no secret of the influence of the model’s third generation (K12). It uses 90 kW (122 hp) and 110 kW (150 hp) motors, along with 40 kWh and 52 kWh batteries - all identical to its “French cousin” - delivering respective WLTP ranges from 310 km to 419 km.

The Nissan Micra is also due to launch shortly, with order books already open and prices starting from €27,750.

Electric Juke is the final unrevealed member of the offensive

The third member of this product offensive will be the new fully electric Nissan Juke. Yet to be unveiled, the electric Juke faces a difficult task: in time, it must replace one of the models that has most defined Nissan in Europe this century, now without an internal-combustion engine.

Everything suggests it will retain its unconventional visual character, paired with a dedicated electric platform. We already know which one: the AmpR Medium, also used by the new Leaf. They are expected to share most of their components, including the batteries. No confirmed specifications or precise launch date have been given beyond confirmation that it will arrive in 2026.

The electric Juke rounds off a year in which Nissan will also remain focused on its ongoing restructuring process. The manufacturer has been cutting costs, streamlining factories and reassessing priorities, both in Europe and globally. The reasoning is straightforward: less spread of resources, greater focus on key markets and products with scale.

Nissan will introduce many more new models - from purely combustion-powered vehicles to fully electric ones - in other parts of the world during 2026. Its approach will be more regional than global, reflecting how the motor industry has evolved in recent years in response to specific tastes and needs, as well as the geopolitical context.