Last week, the head of the Women’s World Car Jury (of which I am a proud member) awarded the Car of the Year to the Nissan Leaf. No, that’s not a typo—THE NISSAN LEAF. The car that was the ugly duckling of automotive is now cleaning up in the awards circuit faster than a Labrador under a messy toddler’s highchair.
Before I get into the goodness that is the revamped Leaf, I want to let you in on the most recent drama behind Nissan, because it’s nothing short of Dickensian. (For Part One of this dramedy, just Google ‘Carlos Ghosn’ and enjoy the rabbit hole.)
2024: THE (SECOND) FALL OF AN ICON
In 2024, Nissan made a dire announcement saying they had only “12 months to survive.” Then there was a fleeting flirtation with a Honda merger, a gaggle of job cuts, and a huge restructuring. We all kind of looked away as one of the most iconic automotive brands circled the drain.
2025: ESPINOSA ‘HOLD MY BEER.’
Then in 2025, on APRIL FOOL’S DAY (you can’t make this stuff up), Ivan Espinoza, a 20-year veteran of the company, takes over as CEO. The man wastes no time taking action and immediately announces he’ll step down as CEO if the company isn’t profitable in fiscal 2026. Cut to April 2026, Espinosa revises the company’s forecasted losses and predicts that Nissan would have a net cash position of $6.3 billion by the end of the year. Who’s the hot guy now?
2026: THE NISSAN LEAF BLOSSOMS
You remember the first-gen Leaf, it was so hideous, it made the Prius look pretty. Plus, with a range of only 100 miles, you couldn’t really justify its appearance with a “yeah, but the mileage” either. Cut to the 2026 model year:
Not only is the new Leaf (or its acronym: Leading Environmentally-friendly, Affordable Family car) borderline gorgeous, but with a 300-mile range, it also offers gas-free driving without any of those icky Elon feelings. Here’s the kicker: it starts just below $30k. Sold!
The Leaf literally went from the dude camped out in the computer lab, covered in acne with a concave chest, to the smoke show who struts into reunion with the confidence of a guy with washboard abs and fat financials. However, one successful rebrand doesn’t save a car company from bankruptcy, but hottie Ivan E isn’t finished just yet.
APRIL 2026: A NEW NISSAN PLAN
Then Nissan makes a big splash in Japan—proclaiming that it has a “new vision.” Now, this is something automakers tend to do, and we all roll our eyes, because it’s usually a nothing sandwich. Not this time, boys, not this time. Because the announcements included the following:
THE XTERRA LIVES!
Nissan’s body-on-frame sleeper has quickly become a cult classic. It’ll return in 2028 with a mean stance and pricing below $40k. Ka-ching!
THE ROGUE E-POWER
Want to go electric, but worried about our challenging infrastructure? This is for you! The new Rogue will be an EREV—an extended range EV. That means it’ll be powered by electric motors but will have a gas generator on board. Sound scary? Not at all. This technology has been around for a while (see the first-gen BMW i3), but Americans didn’t know they needed it—until now.
THE ELECTRIC JUKE
What’s better than a cheap EV? A cheaper EV. The Juke, one of Nissan’s most budget-friendly rides, could become another hit if its facelift is performed by the same plastic surgeon as its brother, the Leaf. Now, if they would just bring it back to the USA, all would be well.
THE VERDICT: NISSAN’S NOT GOING HOME ALONE
All of these point to a company headed in a brilliant direction, particularly as Americans embrace more compact cars, better mileage, and greater reliability. I’d love to say I don’t have a horse in this race, but as a long-time Datsun enthusiast, a Japanophile, and a chronic underdog cheerleader– I’ll admit that I have my eye on this guy.