2027 Nissan Leaf becomes Canada’s cheapest EV thanks to new base model

The new 2027 Nissan Leaf S undercuts the starting MSRP of the next-up Leaf S+ by more than $10,000. The cheaper model has a smaller battery.

2027 Nissan Leaf S front — *The new entry-level 2027 Nissan Leaf S seriously undercuts the rest of the Leaf lineup. – Nissan Canada photo*

The Nissan Leaf is regaining the title of being Canada’s cheapest electric vehicle – with a caveat. More on the caveat in a bit.

The Leaf is getting a new lower starting price for the 2027 model year thanks to the automaker launching a new entry-level S grade, which is more than $10,000 cheaper than the next-up Leaf S+ model.

The Leaf had been Canada’s cheapest EV as recently as 2022, but since then cheaper vehicles came along and the Leaf moved a bit upmarket when the current generation launched for the 2026 model year.

At the time Nissan launched the current, third-generation Leaf, the automaker said there would eventually be an entry-level S trim available offering a lower price.

Well, we’re getting it for the 2027 model year.

The 2027 Nissan Leaf S gets a starting Canadian manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $34,998. That’s good enough to undercut the starting MSRP of the next cheapest EV, the also-new-for-2027 Kia EV3, which starts at $36,995.

The Leaf also qualifies for Canada’s Electric Vehicle Affordability Program so long as the final purchase price doesn’t exceed $50,000. EVAP offers a rebate of up to $5,000 for the purchase or lease of a new EV. The rebate will be lessened to $4,000 in 2027.

Caveat on lowest price title

While the 2027 Nissan Leaf gets what is, as of this writing, the lowest MSRP of any electric vehicle in Canada, a few automakers have been offering steep discounts to help sweeten the deal on their EVs.

One in particular that comes to mind is the Fiat 500e, which has a starting MSRP of around $40,000, but Fiat Canada has been offering a discount of $8,000 on it for most of this year, which pushes its price below that of the Leaf.

What does new entry-level Leaf give up?

The new, cheaper entry-level Leaf gives up range, power and charging speed compared to the other Leaf versions.

The new S trim has a smaller battery with a capacity of 53 kWh compared to the 75-kWh unit in the rest of the lineup.

Nissan estimates the 2027 Leaf S has a driving range of 341 kilometres, while the versions with the larger battery get up to 488 kilometres of range.

The Leaf S is also slightly less powerful, with front-mounted electric motor producing 174 hp, versus the 214 hp available in the rest of the lineup.

It’s also a bit slower to charge.

The on-board charger for at-home Level 2 charging is capable of speeds of 7.2 kW on the Leaf S, while the S+ and higher grades can manage 11 kW. That’s an upgrade over the 2026 Leaf, which topped out at 7 kW.

The automaker reports no charging speed difference when using DC fast-charging (Level 3).

2027 Nissan Leaf S rear — *The 2027 Nissan Leaf S retains the features of the S+ but runs on a smaller battery. – Nissan Canada photo*

What the base S model retains

The S benefits from many of the Leaf’s advanced features, including having a standard North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, ProPilot Assist capability, Nissan Intelligent Key with push-button start and other features.

The S and next-up S+ have dual 12.3-inch displays, one for the driver and one a centre touchscreen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and various other standard features.

Canadian prices

The starting Canadian prices, including fees, levies and MSRP, are as follows:

Leaf S – $37,966 (MSRP of $34,998 plus fees and levies)
Leaf S+ – $48,139 (MSRP of $45,198)
Leaf SV+ – $51,139 (MSRP of $48,198)
Leaf Platinum+ – $55,966 (MSRP of $52,998)

Fees, levies and selling price may vary by location.

The 2027 Nissan Leaf will be available in Canada this fall. For full model details, visit the Nissan Canada website.