2018 Nissan Leaf: Five things that you should know
The Nissan Leaf was unveiled in 2010 and went on sale from 2011 onwards. Since then, it has been the best selling electric vehicle in the world. To be precise, Nissan has sold 3 lakh units of the Leaf worldwide. The company now wants to push this benchmark further with the new-gen Leaf that was unveiled today. The new-gen model has got a serious update in the form of new design and more features. Additionally, it gets more safety and convenience features that claims to make it a lot better than the previous model. Here are the list of things that you should know about the new-gen Nissan Leaf
Modern and stylish design:While the previous Nissan Leaf was a functional car, the design was one of the least spoken about aspects of the car. And the reason for that was its quirky looks. Though Nissan did keep updating the model for several years, it still wasn't pleasing on the eyes. The new-gen Nissan Leaf, comes to the new design language which is also seen on some of the latest offerings from the Japanese manufacturer. It takes its inspiration from the IDS Concept that was shown at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The V-shaped grille taking the centre place paired with the wide flowing projector lights and strong haunches on the bonnet give it a bigger car look. The side too has received a major revision in the form of sleeker lines, premium two tone finish and larger 17-inch wheels. All of that, in addition to aesthetics, have also brought down the coefficient of drag to as low as 0.28. The Gliding Wing design language for the interior has made the cabin feel more spacious than before. In addition to the available options, the infotainment screen now comes with Apple Car Play and navigation for added convenience.
Boost in power and torque:Before the arrival the of the new-gen Nissan Leaf, there was a buzz around the performance stats of the sedan. All of that was settled when Nissan announced the details of the 2018 Leaf. It comes powered by a 149PS/320Nm motor, which is higher than the 110PS/ 280Nm of the previous model. This has been achieved with the use of a bigger 40kWh battery, states the company. Even with the increase in the energy capacity of the battery, Nissan has managed to keep it as spacious for five occupants without compromising on the space taken. The individual cell structure of the laminated lithium-ion battery cells that's been improved. This has also helped improve the efficiency of the Nissan Leaf by 40 per cent. Nissan claims that the new Leaf offers a driving range of 400 kms in the Japanese test cycle.
Safer driving and park assist:The 2018 Nissan Leaf comes with proPILOT semi-autonomous tech. This controls the steering, acceleration and the braking of the vehicle in the single lane. It automatically controls the distance to the vehicle in front, using a speed preset by the driver of up to 100kmph. As soon as the proPilot system detects a car in the front has stopped, it automatically applies brakes. It will be halted till the driver doesn't give further inputs to keep moving or stay at the same location. Nissan claims that all these functions can significantly reduce stress when driving on the highway in both heavy and flowing traffic conditions. In addition, the 2018 Nissan Leaf also comes with proPilot park that helps drivers park by automatically controlling acceleration, brakes, handling, shift changing and parking brakes to guide the car into a parking spot.
More convenience:Offered as standard equipment of the 2018 Nissan Leaf is the ePedal. This system helps the driver start driving, accelerating and stopping all with the help of the accelerator pedal alone. Just as the foot is left from the throttle, the car will come to a standstill without the need to apply brakes. This helps remove the need to constantly move the feet from accelerator to the brake pedal. While this surely sounds impressive to deal with city traffic, Nissan also claims that the ePedal also offers its benefits on long winding roads.
Higher everything but the pricingThe 2018 Nissan Leaf is being manufactured at the Oppama plant in Japan. The company has still not announced its international pricing but has termed it to be 'competitive". Nissan officals also hinted that the prices of the new-gen Nissan Leaf will not be considerably higher than the present models. This is quite possible for the company wants to double the sales of the Leaf in the near future. Additionally, to make a mark in the segment, it has to undercut the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Tesla Model 3.