COVER New Nissan Leaf driven
Verdict on EV, with 235-mile range and neat regenerative braking
THE new Nissan Leaf is the most significant electric car you’ll see this year. That’s because, while Tesla struggles to ramp up production for its latest Model 3, Nissan’s Oppama factory in Japan has been cranking out the revised Leaf since the summer.
Such is the pace of the EV market that the newcomer shares little with its predecessor. There’s all-new styling inside and out, more power and extra torque, as well as a greater EV range thanks to cost and energy-density improvements in lithium-ion batteries. Various new tech features cap things off.
Most people will prefer the new Nissan’s looks, although some may be disappointed that it’s not quite as distinctive as the car it replaces. The play-it-safe styling has some awkward elements, such as the long front overhang, but for the most part the Leaf feels modern, practical and inoffensive.
It’s the same story inside, with a more conventional dial cluster that’s easier to read at a glance. The old ‘floating’ dash has made way for a regular, built-in design. The seats are flat but comfortable, and there’s plenty of space in the rear plus a 435-litre boot. However, with no reach adjustment on the steering wheel, certain drivers might struggle to find a good position. You still get the old Leaf’s mouse-style drive selector, and there’s some familiar-looking switchgear.
Press the glowing blue starter button and you’ll find the new car has maintained its predecessor’s sense of serenity. From the high, upright driving position to the lowgeared and feel-free steering, this is a car designed to soothe away the stress of driving, not enhance the pleasures of it. UK models will see suspension and damper tweaks for a more direct and eager feel, but – for now, at least – that leaves the BMW i3 as the electric car of choice if you want to be more involved during your commute.
Our highway-biased test route revealed little about the ride and handling, but the
punchier powertrain offers tangible improvements on the move. The Leaf steps off the line smartly, and with the new e-pedal set-up switched off, it’s brisk and responsive even at high speeds. You can now join motorways with much greater conviction than the old car allowed.
You can stay on them for longer, too, due to a (still to be homologated) range of 235 miles. A Nissan representative tells us you can realistically expect between 150 and 200 miles on a charge, and with a 6.6kw home charger you’ll be able to top up an empty battery in around eight hours. A fast charger will deliver an 80 per cent hit in 40 minutes.
Nudge the small blue e-pedal switch, and the regenerative braking instantly pulls you back, requiring a harder squeeze on the accelerator to maintain progress. Surprisingly, this soon feels like the most natural and effective way to drive, and it renders the slightly spongy standard brakes redundant in most normal conditions. You
“This is a car designed to soothe away the stress of driving, not enhance the pleasures of it”
can be incredibly precise with your inputs at all speeds, and the car will pull to a halt without touching the left pedal – even facing downhill. Nissan suggests the e-pedal covers 90 per cent of braking situations, meaning you could go weeks without touching the brakes at all.
PROPILOT Parking is equally effective, and while the Japanese model was quite slow to make manoeuvres, we’re told European cars will operate at a speed that won’t make you the villain of the supermarket car park.
Less successful is PROPILOT Assist mode, which tracks the car in front to regulate your speed on motorways – keeping you between the lines and in your lane. It gives a small degree of autonomy, but takes corners in small bites rather than fluid movements and isn’t as sophisticated as Mercedes or Tesla’s similar systems. Still, we found steering, accelerating and braking ourselves on the motorway particularly stress-free.
Following our brief first drive, it’s not hard to imagine the latest Leaf eclipsing the original’s sales figures, especially as the market increasingly shuns conventionally powered cars for zero-emission models.