The cheapest new EV in Canada gives up 147 km for its price
Canada gets a new Leaf S at CA$37,966 with fees. The catch is measurable: a 53-kWh battery and 341 km of range instead of the S+ model’s 488 km.
Nissan has just made the new Leaf almost CA$10,000 cheaper — but there is no pricing miracle here. For the 2027 model year, Canada gets a new entry-level S grade at CA$34,998, or CA$37,966 with mandatory fees. By comparison, the most affordable 2026 Leaf was the S+ at CA$47,846 with fees. That is a CA$9,880 gap, or 20.6%. Too generous? The secret is easy to find in the battery.
The Leaf S gets a 53-kWh battery, a 174-hp electric motor and 341 km of range. S+ and higher grades move to a 75-kWh pack, produce up to 214 hp, and the S+ can travel as far as 488 km. There is the price of the discount. Yet Nissan has not turned the base car into a “bare-bones” special: it still has a heat pump, battery and front-seat heating, two 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ProPILOT Assist and a NACS port.
There is a wrinkle in the pricing of the higher trims, and it changes the picture. Autoevolution lists the 2026 Leaf at CA$47,949, CA$50,949 and CA$55,749, which makes the new prices higher by CA$190, CA$190 and CA$217. Nissan Canada’s official launch pricing, however, used a different baseline — CA$47,846, CA$50,846 and CA$55,646 with mandatory fees. Against those figures, today’s CA$48,139, CA$51,139 and CA$55,966 represent increases of CA$293, CA$293 and CA$320. It all comes down to the point of comparison.
And here is the part rivals will not enjoy: the Leaf S is now the cheapest new EV on the Canadian market. Local automotive outlets note that it undercuts the entry-level Kia EV3 by roughly CA$2,000. But the bargain comes with a very measurable sacrifice — compared with the Leaf S+, range falls by a full 147 km.