Nissan’s Popular Kei-Car Got A New Face For 2026. It’s The Leaf’s
Four years at the top of Japan's EV sales chart, and Nissan's Sakura facelift is more about staying relevant than raising the bar
https://www.carscoops.com/author/thanos-pappas/
by Thanos Pappas
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.
More: Nissan Pulls The Plug On The Most Affordable Leaf. For Now
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.
More: Nissan Turns Sunlight Into Free Miles With Its Smart EV Upgrade
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.
Nissan
