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The new Nissan LEAF has been on a tear, winning award after award after award. It deserves it. The model is a great value-for-money buy. The model has essentially kept the same price it had more than a decade ago — despite all the wild inflation — while massively boosting range and capability.
The award the car is winning this time is the 2026 Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) award. It’s the overall winner for 2026, not just a winner of a specific segment or class. This is “the highest honor bestowed by the international jury comprised exclusively of women automotive journalists,” Nissan writes.
In 2013, the starting price of the Nissan LEAF was $28,800. The base price today for the LEAF S+ is $29,990. The 2011 LEAF actually started at $32,780. The 2026 LEAF S+ has 303 miles of range on a full charge, while the 2013 LEAF’s range started at 73 miles, less than a quarter of that.
“First launched in 2010 as the world’s first mass market electric vehicle, the LEAF has helped drive the shift to electric mobility for over 15 years. Now in its third generation, new LEAF builds on that legacy with a sleeker design, enhanced range and intuitive technology — qualities identified by this year’s WWCOTY jury. The LEAF rose to the top of a competitive field of 55 vehicles, underscoring its standout appeal among a wide range of global contenders.” Indeed.
This is a serious award, too. A lot of people are involved from across the world. “WWCOTY evaluates vehicles based on what matters most to everyday drivers including safety, design, value, ease of use and environmental impact. Comprised of 86 leading women journalists across more than 50 countries, the jury praised the LEAF for its realistic approach to electric mobility, and balance of advanced electric performance and simple, enjoyable day to day driving.”
One of the nice things about the Nissan LEAF is that it’s always been an “everyperson’s car.” It’s a normal car for normal people aimed at the mass market. Apparently, that’s also one thing the WWCOTY jury liked about it. “In our voting, we have focused on vehicles that stand out not only for their figures or technology, but for how effectively they respond to people’s real, everyday needs,” said Marta García, Executive President of WWCOTY. “The Nissan LEAF represents a mature and intelligent vision of electrification — one that makes electric mobility truly usable and accessible.”
So, congratulations to the Nissan LEAF on yet another award, a well deserved one — 15 years after the model first came to market. The only question now is: which award is coming next?
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