The Juke EV shares its platform with the Nissan Ariya and Renault Megane E-Tech.
Nissan will continue selling the outgoing hybrid model alongside this new EV.
The new electric crossover will hit the market in the spring of 2027.
The Nissan Juke has always stood out from the crowd, sporting a unique shape that’s allowed it to remain a solid option despite competition in its segment always increasing. At its Vision event in Japan, Nissan has unveiled the third-generation Juke, and it’s even more striking than we could have predicted.
The new Juke will be sold exclusively as an EV and will be built at the brand’s British site in Sunderland, alongside the Leaf. It’s based on the CMF-EV or AmpR Medium platform used by the likes of the Renault Scenic E-Tech, Alpine A390, and Nissan Ariya, and is scheduled to launch globally in the spring of next year.
Nissan has yet to release final specifications for the Juke, nor has it released any photos of the crossover’s interior. However, it has unveiled the full exterior design, and it looks unlike any other model Nissan sells. In fact, the design is striking enough that it looks more like a concept car than one that’ll be sold to the public.
Concept Looks
The design is dominated by sharp and jagged lines, starting at the front with a large blacked-out grille and intriguing headlights. It’s also been showcased with angular black wheel arches, while much of the body is finished in a bright shade of green. This color really helps to highlight the profile of the Juke, particularly the wild door skins.
As with the outgoing Juke, the handles for the rear doors remain on the C-pillars. Like the front, the rear is bold with intricate LED taillights and a distinctive tailgate.
Like the current Leaf, the new Nissan Leaf EV will support vehicle-to-grid technology. The battery packs will likely mimic those of the Nissan Leaf, meaning it could be offered with 52 kWh and 75 kWh packs. Interestingly, the existing second-generation Juke isn’t going anywhere.
Despite originally planning to replace the old model with this new one, the second and third-gen versions will instead be sold alongside each other. It’s understood that Nissan will update the design of the old model to mimic the new EV.
Lexus, Subaru, and Toyota top Consumer Reports’ latest reliability rankings.
Tesla climbs sharply, while Mazda tumbles thanks to trouble with new SUVs.
Hybrids keep impressing, but EVs and PHEVs still cause trouble for owners.
If you want a new car that spends more time on your driveway than at the dealer, Consumer Reports has some familiar advice. Stick with the usual suspects, be suspicious of shiny new tech, and maybe don’t volunteer to beta test an automaker’s latest big idea.
At the top of the pile, Toyota grabbed first place with Subaru second and Lexus third. Honda and BMW rounded out the top five. Consumer Reports based the study on survey data covering about 380,000 vehicles, so this is the kind of league table that has credibility, and isn’t just the result of an angry guy yelling into a forum thread about his rogue SUV.
If you’re wondering who had the best transformation, that would be Tesla. It jumped eight places from last year’s study to ninth overall, helped largely by stronger showings from the Model 3 and, in particular, the Model Y. That doesn’t mean everything in Tesla land is suddenly flawless, because the Cybertruck still landed below average, but it does suggest the company is finally getting a better grip on some of the fit, finish, and hardware gremlins that used to follow it around.
Mazda’s PHEV Nightmare
The brand that took the awkward tumble was Mazda, which dropped eight spots to 14th. Older Mazda models still did reasonably well, but the newer, more complicated CX-70 and CX-90, especially in plug-in hybrid form, apparently kept causing trouble.
That’s a classic case of what happens when an automaker gets ambitious with new platforms, new drivetrains, and new tech all at once. Sometimes the engineering team nails it. Sometimes the owners become unwitting, unpaid members of the R&D squad.
Consumer Reports also says hybrids continue to be a safe option for ICE fans looking for better economy. EVs and PHEVs, meanwhile, remain overrepresented among the least reliable models in the survey, especially when they’re brand new or heavily redesigned.
Buick Leads Detroit Brands
There were a few other eyebrow raisers in the rankings. Buick was the highest placed traditional Big Three Detroit brand at eighth, Ford landed 11th, and relative newcomer Rivian brought up the rear, though it’s worth pointing out that Jaguar, Land Rover, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and more were excluded from the study due to a lack of data.
Consumer Reports also found Asian brands still dominate on reliability, Europeans sit in the middle, and domestic brands trail overall, even if Tesla’s jump gave Team America something to celebrate.
And reliability is worth celebrating. No, it’s never going to be sexy, but unless your idea of excitement includes hanging around in waiting rooms and constantly swapping into loaner crossovers, Consumer Reports has a pretty clear message: maybe let somebody else test the cutting edge first.
The facelifted Nissan Sakura adopts a redesigned grille and bumper.
It also gains a new color and an extra cup holder inside the cabin.
We don’t expect any upgrades to the fully electric powertrain.
Nissan is lining up a major product presentation in Japan on April 14, but it has quietly slipped in a facelift reveal ahead of schedule. The Sakura receives mild exterior and interior tweaks, aimed at keeping it relevant in Japan’s fast-moving electric kei car segment.
The model was originally introduced in 2022, as the production version of the IMk concept from 2019. Still, Nissan played it safe with small changes, likely due to a limited budget.
Fresh Face And Floral Hues
The most noticeable change is up front, where a redesigned fascia introduces a body-colored grille section that mimics the Nissan Leaf. It’s paired with a revised bumper that brings sharper angles and more pronounced vertical elements along the sides.
The LED headlights carry over unchanged, as does the sheet metal along the profile. Around the back, things appear largely untouched as well, although the lower portion of the rear bumper remains out of view.
The color palette gains a new shade called “Minamono Sakura”, inspired by cherry blossoms floating on water. In the pictured example, the paint combines copper and silver accents, creating an unusual tri-color finish.
Key-Sized Improvements Inside
Inside, Nissan has shared just a single image, and at first glance, it looks unchanged. A closer look reveals addition of an extra cup holder on the passenger side.
Designers didn’t seem to bother changing the 7-inch digital instrument cluster and 9-inch infotainment, but they did relocate the USB Type-C ports lower in the center console.
While the company has yet to release detailed specifications, there is little reason to expect meaningful changes under the skin. The outgoing Sakura uses a single electric motor producing 63 hp (47 kW) and 195 Nm (144 lb-ft) of torque, paired with a 20 kWh battery that delivers a WLTC-rated range of 180 km (112 miles).
The facelifted kei car is expected to reach the Japanese market in the coming weeks, at which point pricing details should be confirmed. For reference, the current model starts at ¥2,599,300 ($16,300) for the base X trim and rises to ¥3,082,200 ($19,400) for the flagship G.
Nissan says the model has been Japan’s best-selling EV for four consecutive years, recording 14,093 sales in 2025. Competition comes from familiar domestic rivals, including the Mitsubishi eK X EV twin, the Honda N-One e: and N-Van e:, as well as the upcoming BYD Racco.
The NX8 arrives in two flavors, pure electric and range-extender.
Longest-range EREV version covers over 900 miles on a full tank.
Pricing ranges between ¥149,900-199,900 ($21,900-29,200).
Update: The new NX8 is now on sale in China. Pricing starts lower than expected, and Nissan is offering both a pure electric and a range-extender version. This story has been updated with full pricing, specs, and new photos.
Nissan has introduced a new midsize SUV developed in partnership with Dongfeng in China, marking the latest addition to its growing, budget-conscious N-series lineup. Named the NX8, the model joins the existing N6 and N7 sedans and is offered with a selection of electrified powertrains.
The exterior design follows the same styling language as its sedan counterparts, with clean surfacing and a grille-free front fascia. A full-width daytime running light runs across the split headlights and wraps around the front fenders, while OLED tail lights extend across the rear.
The overall shape leans toward conventional SUV proportions, marked by flush-fitting door handles and pronounced shoulders.
How Big Is It?
The midsize NX8 measures 4,870 mm (191.7 inches) in length, 1,920 mm (75.6 inches) in width, and 1,680 mm (66.1 inches) in height, with a wheelbase of 2,917 mm (114.8 inches).
That makes it 222 mm (8.7 inches) longer than the Rogue (X-Trail) and 152 mm (6 inches) shorter than the Pathfinder. Interestingly, its wheelbase is 17 mm (0.7 inches) longer than the Pathfinder’s, which should translate to slightly better interior space.
A High-Tech Interior
Inside, we find dual 15.6-inch infotainment displays on the dashboard, which are separate from the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P chipset. The flagship trim adds a 63-inch augmented reality head-up display and a 25-speaker audio system.
Additional highlights include AI Zero Gravity Seats 2.0 with massage, heating, and ventilation, along with contactless airflow control, an onboard refrigerator, and Motion Sickness Prevention Technology 3.0.
The five-seater cabin can transform into a comfortable couch/bed by fully reclining the front seatbacks. Furthermore, the boot has extra space under the floor, and is complemented by a frunk in the battery electric versions.
In terms of safety, the SUV is fitted with up to 29 sensors including a roof-mounted lidar unit. This the hardware for the Momenta-based Advanced Driver Assistance promising sophisticated autonomous capabilities.
Powertrain Options
The Nissan NX8 is offered with both range-extender (EREV) and fully electric (BEV) powertrains, each using lithium iron phosphate battery packs supplied by CATL.
The EREV pairs a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine acting as a generator with a single electric motor producing 335 hp (250 kW/ 340 PS). It delivers an EV-only range of 310 km (193 miles) and a combined range of 1,450 km (901 miles) under CLTC testing.
The BEV variant produces either 288 hp (215 kW / 292 PS) or 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS). Range is rated at 580 km (360 miles) and 650 km (404 miles), respectively, under the CLTC cycle. These figures exceed the Leaf’s 303-mile EPA rating on paper, though CLTC estimates typically run 20 to 30 percent higher than EPA results, so real-world differences may be smaller than they appear. The larger 81 kWh battery supports ultra-fast charging at up to 463 kW, taking it from 10 to 80 percent in 12 minutes.
How Much Does It Cost?
Nissan has initially launched the NX8 in China but as with the N6 and N7 sedans, it is expected to be exported to additional markets. Whether that will include Western regions like Europe and Australia, however, remains to be seen.
In its home market, the SUV is currently priced between ¥149,900-199,900 ($21,900-$29,200), depending on the powertrain and trim level. That’s roughly in line with what you would pay for the older Kicks Play in the US ($21,520), which remains Nissan’s most affordable model there, and still less than the new Kicks ($22,430). It also comes in well below the new Leaf EV, which starts at $29,990 in America.
These figures reflect introductory pricing for the launch period, with standard pricing set at ¥159,900-209,900 ($23,400-30,700). Even so, the China-spec model remains considerably cheaper than the Nissan Rogue, which starts at $29,490 in the US market.
Nissan recalls 51 examples of the 2026 Leaf over potential battery fire risks.
Owners are advised not to drive, charge, or park the vehicle near buildings.
Two thermal incidents were reported, though no injuries have been reported.
The current Nissan Leaf hasn’t even been out for a full year, and yet the company is already issuing a serious safety recall. 51 owners might have a car that could, in very specific circumstances, experience a thermal event. Put simply, the specific vehicles could catch fire, so Nissan is telling owners to take several safety precautions, including parking outside.
According to the recall, the issue traces back to the 78-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. During the supplier’s manufacturing process, the edge of a battery cathode may have been torn. If that damaged section folds over inside the cell, it can create an internal short circuit.
That’s where things get serious. Nissan says the short circuit could overheat the battery and potentially trigger what the company calls a “thermal event.” In other words, the battery could catch fire even when the car is parked, switched off, and not charging.
The first known incident happened in Japan on February 16, when a parked 2026 Leaf suffered a thermal event while sitting outside. A second case surfaced in the U.S. on March 2 at a Nissan dealership. In both cases, the vehicles were turned off and not plugged in.
That’s key because oftentimes, it’s the charging procedure itself that can initiate instances like this. Considering that these cars weren’t plugged in means owners could have zero indication of an issue before a fire erupts.
Nissan says it used telematics data to scan other Leafs for unusual battery behavior, then traced the suspect battery packs directly to specific VINs. The company says it has one-to-one traceability between the battery and each affected vehicle. Nissan stopped shipping potentially affected Leafs on March 17 and placed vehicles on hold at ports. Owners will begin receiving calls immediately, and interim recall letters will start going out on April 17.
Until then, Nissan says affected owners should park the car outside and away from structures, avoid charging it, and bring it to a dealer. Dealers will provide a rental car until a fix is ready. Once that happens, Nissan will replace the damaged battery modules, or the entire battery pack if necessary, free of charge.
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