Comparison: Turning circle Nissan Leaf vs. competitors 2025

The Nissan Leaf, beloved by eco-conscious drivers and urban dwellers alike, has made a name for itself with its electric efficiency and practicality. One of the crucial aspects of its urban maneuverability is its turning circle. For the uninitiated, the turning circle of a vehicle dictates how tightly it can make a full circle, essentially measuring its agility in confined spaces. The current generation Nissan Leaf boasts a turning circle of 10.60 meters, which is a smidgen less nimble than some of its smaller counterparts but still respectable for its size and segment.

Nissan Leaf - How has the turning circle changed over the generations?

Let’s take a stroll through memory lane to see how the Leaf’s turning prowess has evolved. Starting with the original ZE0 model from 2012 to 2013, it sported a turning circle of 10.40 meters—fairly impressive given the car's revolutionary design of the time. This remained unchanged during the first facelift phase from 2013 to 2017, keeping the same 10.40 meters. However, the new ZE1 model, which debuted in 2018 and continues to the present day, slightly stretched out its legs to a 10.60 meters turning circle. In the grand scheme, that's a negligible increase, likely owing to the broader and possibly more stable footprint required for enhanced ride comfort and handling stability.
The difference in Turning circle between first generation (ZE0) from 2012 and last generation (ZE1) from 2018 is 0.6 m.
The turning circle of the current generation of Leaf is 10.6 m.

The turning circle compared to other Nissan models

How does the Leaf compare within the Nissan family lineup? Well, it’s somewhat mid-pack. The agile little Micra comes out slightly ahead with a 10.30 meters turning circle. Interestingly, the quirky Juke matches the current Leaf's 10.60 meters, suggesting similar urban agility but in a more crossover-style package. Moving up the scale, the Ariya and other larger SUVs like the X-Trail and Qashqai dwell in loftier realms of above 10.80 meters, creeping toward 12 meters for the larger siblings. Thus, the Leaf is better poised than these bigger family members for city navigation and tight parking spots, proving its worth if compact agility is a must-have on your list.

Nissan Leaf vs other current cars by Nissan

(Turning circle)
Turning circle: Leaf vs. other models by Nissan
Variant nameTurning circle
Micra 10.3 m
Juke 10.6 m
Ariya 10.8 m
Leaf 10.8 m
Qashqai 11 m
X-Trail 11.1 m
Townstar EV {VAN} 11.8 m
Townstar EV Kombi 11.8 m
Townstar {VAN} 11.8 m
Townstar Kombi 11.8 m
Interstar {VAN} 12 m
Primastar {VAN} 12.8 m
Primastar Kombi 12.8 m
Primastar Seaside by Dethelffs 12.8 m

How does the turning circle of the Nissan Leaf compare to it's nearest competitors?

But what about the competition? Let’s cast our critical eye upon some proper rivals. The Kia Picanto, with its stumpy dimensions, betters the Leaf with a neat 10.00 meters turning circle. The Citroen C3 is even more dexterous at 9.60 meters. Notably, the Renault Zoe matches the Leaf's 10.60 meters, whereas the Fiat Punto manages to squeeze in at 10.50 meters, making it barely swifter around tight corners. For those looking at more size and thus less nimbleness, the Opel ADAM’s 11.10 meters further highlights the Leaf’s competent agility in this segment. All these comparisons highlight that while the Leaf might not be the twinkle-toes of the subcompact category, it certainly holds its own against more diminutive contenders and even outpaces several established names.

Nissan Leaf vs. similar cars

(Turning circle)
Turning circle: Nissan Leaf vs. similar cars
Car modelTurning circle
Opel Rocks-e 20217.2 m
Aixam Sensation 20178 m
Aixam Emotion 20208 m
Microcar M.Go 20198.3 m
Ligier JS 50 20198.7 m
Honda e 20209 m
e.GO Mobile Life 20199 m
Citroen C-Zero 20109 m
Peugeot iOn 20109 m
Mitsubishi i-MiEV 20109 m
Casalini 550 20229 m
Casalini M20 20229 m
Peugeot 108 20149.6 m
BMW i3 20139.9 m
CUPRA Born 202110.2 m
VW ID.3 202010.3 m
Mazda 2 Hybrid 202210.4 m
Renault Zoe 201310.6 m
Hyundai IONIQ 201610.6 m
Nissan Leaf 201810.6 m
Tesla Model 3 201911 m
Opel Ampera 201111 m
Chevrolet Volt 201111 m
ORA Funky Cat 202211.2 m
Tesla Model S 201311.3 m
e.GO Mobile e.wave X 202211.4 m
VW Arteon 201711.9 m

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