Nissan may be facing astronomical odds in its ongoing quest for survival, but the company is hoping that new CEO Ivan Espinosa and a fresh onslaught of new products will be able to turn the tide. While the newly revamped Nissan Murano and Armada certainly proved to have some of the core things Nissan needs to pull itself from the brink, the company knows that these two products alone are not going to be enough to reverse there fortunes.
The company teased a key model that it hopes will bring a fresh jolt to sales in the bargain EV market the 2026 Nissan Leaf which morphs into a CUV to try and give Nissan a contender in the CUV market while also bringing electrification to a lower price point.
Nissan Leaf ditches its hatchback roots to pursue a broader goal
As mentioned, the Leaf is morphing into a CUV for the 2026 model year but the change is needed with the company seemingly admitting that having the Leaf be a hatchback was impractical and not friendly to profits. Instead, it gets a promotion into a CUV thanks in part to the new CMF-EV architecture which it borrows from the larger Ariya EV. The third-generation Leaf will also be the first Nissan to feature a NACS charging port with the company hoping the switch will help it have faster charging capabilities. The model will also get 19-inch wheels and a large panoramic sunroof as well.
In addition to the Leaf getting a new identity, the venerable Rogue CUV will also get a new level of electrification with the company confirming the Rogue will become its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model in the U.S. during FY2025. The Rogue has already proven to be a flexible SUV entry for Nissan with the Rock Creek model we experienced recently proving it had the chops to take on trail work so look for this PHEV model to continue this trend in earnest.
More changes are coming
In addition to the Leaf and the Rogue, the company also revealed that it will be launching eight other new products including an updated Pathfinder and a fully updated Sentra model which does run against some prior rumors we heard suggesting the Sentra could be axed due to it being one of the few traditional cars left in the brand’s portfolio and the last one to be a traditional four-door sedan.
The company is also not forgetting about luxury brand Infiniti either with Espinosa confirming the QX60 will be getting updated while the flagship QX80 will get a new Sport Package. Other updates will partially depend on what market you’re in with Nissan revealing it will be bringing other products for select markets including the Japanese home market and the Middle East.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.