With new styling, more power and more miles per charge – the world’s bestselling electric car, the Nissan Leaf is going being upgrade for 2018.
The Nissan Leaf has been a game changer in the electric-car industry and the new Leaf promises to achieve the same heights of its predecessor and the main answer to the 2040 petrol/diesel ban. The MK1 was the first market electric vehicle to sell more than 283,000 units in seven years and still controls 50 percent of new sales in the EV market. The sales will begin in January 2018 battling Tesla’s new Model 3.
What improvements will the LEAF bring?
The new Leaf uses a 40kWh lithium battery, up from the 30kWh of the outgoing model. It will also claim an extra mileage of 235 miles, which is a major improvement from the 155-mile range of the previous Leaf model.
The charging time remains the same, users can achieve 80 percent battery in 40 minutes with a quick charger and 8 hours with a 6kw normal charger. The revised front mounted motor produces 110kW(148bhp) up from the outgoing car’s 80kW(108bhp) offering 0-62 mph in around 9.8 seconds. That’s 15% better than the current model; and top speed has also climbed to 90 miles per hour.
Nissan has also planned to launch the higher capacity Leaf model after 18 months of the second generation Leaf launch which is expected to provide more than 310 miles on a single charge.
Better than before adding more space, and a new premium look
Due to a new power-management processor, the new Leaf has been redesigned with a flat floor and sharper nose that follows Nissan’s trademark V-motion grille with a more aggressively tapered rear. Under the new changes, the LEAF is 15% lighter than outgoing version and this all helps contribute to a more a sportier, premium design.
The new LEAF is also bit bigger in size than before – somewhere between Qashqai and X-Trail in length. However, Nissan are yet to provide full specs on this.
The new LEAF would be available in white, yellow, red, light blue and a new spring light green colour option.
Adding more advance commuter friendly features
The new Leaf comes with ingenious technology and more advanced driver assistance features than ever before. Its Nissan’s first car that comes with ProPilot autonomous drive tech on-board and allows in-lane autonomy which can take-over steering, acceleration and braking at speeds between 19-62mph. The new e-pedal is another clever feature that means you have the option of a “one-pedal'” system that will involve just pressing and releasing the accelerator. More technology features are definitely on the horizon with Nissan planning more announcements for the new LEAF.
If you have concerned about its practicality than its good to know that new LEAF is well advanced in in terms of offering interior and boot space. The new LEAF offers 435 litres boot space which is 65 litres higher than outgoing version.
The interior is revised and offering more premium layout which is better in quality and less quirky. There will be new big seven-inch touchscreen that can relate to Apple car play and Android auto to make car well-connected with latest modern tech-features.
So, are you ready for the electric booster? The pricing is still yet to revealed but the new LEAF is confirmed to be built at its Sunderland plant in UK to get the pricing down and to get the LEAF delivery on time, without delaying its delivery period for its customers.
