Compare the2022 Kia EV6VS 2022 Nissan Leaf

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the EV6 and Leaf have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Leaf’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The EV6 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Leaf doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The EV6 has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Leaf doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the EV6 and the Leaf have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Warranty

The EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Leaf’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Leaf. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Leaf ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

Engine

The EV6 has more powerful engines than the Leaf:

	Horsepower	Torque
EV6 Light electric motor	167 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
EV6 Wind/GT-Line electric motor	225 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
EV6 electric motors	320 HP	446 lbs.-ft.
Leaf electric motor	147 HP	236 lbs.-ft.
Leaf PLUS electric motor	214 HP	250 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the EV6 gets better mileage than the Leaf:

			MPGe
EV6
	RWD	Light Electric Motor	136 city/100 hwy
		Wind/GT-Line Electric Motor	134 city/101 hwy
	AWD	Electric Motors	116 city/94 hwy
Leaf
	FWD	Electric Motor	123 city/99 hwy
		PLUS S Electric Motor	118 city/97 hwy
		PLUS SV/SL Electric Motor	114 city/94 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the EV6 has a longer range than the Leaf:

			Range
EV6
	RWD	Light Electric Motor	232 miles
		Wind/GT-Line Electric Motor	310 miles
	AWD	Electric Motors	274 miles
Leaf
	FWD	Electric Motor	149 miles
		PLUS S Electric Motor	226 miles
		PLUS SV/SL Electric Motor	215 miles

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the EV6’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Leaf:

	EV6	Leaf
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.5 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the EV6 has larger tires than the Leaf (235/45R20 vs. 205/55R16). The EV6’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Leaf (235/45R20 vs. 215/50R17).

The EV6’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Leaf SV/SL’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Leaf S. The EV6’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Leaf SV/SL.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Kia EV6 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Leaf has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV6’s wheelbase is 7.9 inches longer than on the Leaf (114.2 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the EV6 is 3.7 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Leaf.

Passenger Space

The EV6 has 10.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Leaf (103 vs. 92.4).

The EV6 has .3 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear legroom, 3.2 inches more rear hip room and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the EV6’s rear seats recline. The Leaf’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EV6’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Leaf doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the EV6 Wind/GT-Line/1st Edition’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The EV6’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Leaf doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The EV6 offers up to a 2300 lbs. towing capacity. The Leaf has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the EV6, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Leaf doesn’t offer a memory system.

The EV6 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Leaf doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The EV6’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Leaf’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the EV6 and the Leaf have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the EV6 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Leaf prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The EV6 GT-Line/1st Edition’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and the driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Leaf’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The EV6’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Leaf’s power lock and cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The EV6’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Leaf’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The EV6’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Leaf SV/SL.

The EV6 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Leaf SV/SL. The EV6 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Leaf.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the EV6 Wind/GT-Line/1st Edition keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Leaf doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The EV6 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Leaf doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia EV6 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Leaf doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The EV6 has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Leaf doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The EV6 (except Light)’s optional Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Leaf doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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