Compare the2026 Nissan LeafVS 2025 Kia EV6

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Leaf have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia EV6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Nissan Leaf has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The EV6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Leaf has standard Secondary Collision Mitigation Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The EV6 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

The Leaf’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the EV6 runs out after 100,000 miles.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Leaf for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Nissan will pay for tire rotations, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EV6.

There are over 34 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Leaf’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 8th.

The Leaf can travel longer on a full charge than the EV6 on a full charge:

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

The Leaf’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the EV6 are solid, not vented.

The Leaf has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The EV6 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Leaf’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the EV6’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The Leaf’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the EV6 GT’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The Leaf is 11.4 inches shorter than the EV6, making the Leaf easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Leaf has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the EV6 with its rear seat folded (55.5 vs. 46.7 cubic feet).

The Nissan Leaf has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located for the driver. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Kia charges extra for Homelink® on the EV6.