Back in 2010, the introduction of Nissan Leaf had everyone roaring. Nissan Leaf, the first car of its kind, had people hoping for an electric vehicle revolution, which was soon to follow. Since then, the automobile industry has seen many EVs, but none have come close to the economical, family-car that is the Nissan Leaf.
Nissan has sold more than 400,000 units throughout the world, which is the highest for an electric vehicle. It is an economical car that is quite popular in the US. Till date, it has sold about 133,000 units in the US alone.
So what’s new?
If you are looking for a low-range electric car that you can use on the daily commute, Nissan Leaf is perfect. The 2019 model offers a larger battery pack with more range than the previous models. Moreover, the 2019 model has a bigger battery pack. Also, the acceleration of the latest model is higher than previous models. The driver-assist features such as blind-spot monitoring system weren’t available in older models. The ProPILOT Assist is also a new feature in the 2019 model.
The Nissan Leaf comes in six variations, which include S, SV, SL, S Plus, SV Plus, and SL Plus. SV and SV Plus do not have the Technology Package. The Technology Package containing the ProPILOT Assist, charging cable, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and other safety features are an add-on that can be purchased separately. It costs about $1,800 and $2,200 for SV and SV Plus, respectively.
Specifications
Some of the specifications of the car are listed as follows:
Battery
The 2019 Nissan Leaf is an authentic electric vehicle that produces no gas emissions. Moreover, it does not require oil changes because there is no internal combustion engine. Nissan boasts that the car offers a quiet ride. The Nissan Leaf offers two battery packs for consumers. The 40kWh battery gives a mileage of 150 miles on a single charge. The 62kWh battery gives a range of 226 miles on a single charge and is expensive. To charge the car’s battery, you can connect it to a 120-volt or a 240-volt power outlet. You can obtain the DC fast charging on the S model by purchasing a Charge Package; however, it is available on the other models of the Nissan Leaf.
Handling
The handling of the Nissan Leaf is smooth, and the braking system is better than other vehicles. The vehicle has an e-Pedal which slowly brakes the car to a stop when you move the foot off the accelerator. The e-Pedal is a standard feature in all models, and avoid using the brake pedals. Moreover, the deceleration of the car helps charge the car’s battery. However, the car’s acceleration is slower than other EVs though it has a smooth drive as compared to other vehicles.
Driver Assistance
Nissan Leaf offers ProPILOT Assist, which is the driver assistance feature of the car. ProPILOT has the following key features:
- The intelligent lane assist allows that car to keep in its lane and get through minor curves.
- The intelligent cruise control ensures that the car keeps its distance from other vehicles on the road.
- The high beam support feature switches to a lower beam when the car detects another vehicle approaching.
- The active ride control feature automatically applies the brakes when it detects a bump in the road.
- The intelligent trace control drives the car through curves automatically and can apply brakes to individual wheels for a smooth turn.
- The hill start assist feature applies the brake when the vehicle is on an upward slope to avoid collision with the car that is behind.
Safety features
The safety features of the car are as follows:
- Anti-Lock Braking System: The braking system prevents brakes from locking so that you can steer around obstacles.
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System: The system lets the driver know if there is a tire with low air pressure.
- Automatic Emergency Braking: The automatic emergency braking has Pedestrian Detection that provides alerts to the driver and applies brakes automatically.
- Blind Spot Warning System: If a car is present in your blind spot, the warning system generates an audio alert for changing lanes safely.
- Intelligent Around View Monitor: This feature gives you a 360-degree vision around the car, so you can view obstacles that otherwise wouldn’t be visible.
- Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: When backing out of parking, this alert system lets you know if there is another car approaching.
- Intelligent Forward Collision Warning: In the case of an accident, the warning system generates alerts.
- Apart from these features, the Nissan Leaf has six standard airbags present in the front seat, roof, and front airbags.
Interior and Infotainment system
The Nissan Leaf has seating for five people. Compared with other compact cars, Nissan offers ample space for cargo, even though the back seats do not fold all the way. The infotainment system in the car has Bluetooth and satellite radio. The Nissan Leaf also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality available as well, so you can connect your smartphone to the car. The sound system includes the Bose Energy Efficient Series Premium Audio System with seven speakers. It also has voice recognition and a 7-inch touch display.
The NissanConnect App can be used to control the car’s numerous features. You can control the cabin temperature, remotely lock the car, get updates on the car’s charging, remotely start the car, and get updates on how far the car can go. You can even access the app on your Apple Watch and Android Wear.
Pricings
The 40kWH battery-packed Leaf has a starting price of $22,490, while the 62kWH battery pack Nissan Leaf has a starting price of $36,550. The Nissan Leaf S, SV, and SL are available in 40kWh. You can purchase the S Plus, SV Plus, and the SL Plus in 62kWh.
You can lease the Nissan Leaf from an official dealership in your area. Apart from this, Nissan has offers on its model that you can browse to buy or finance the car. According to one car dealer, you can lease a 2019 Nissan Leaf for as low as $229/month for 36 months. The down payment is $3,979.
The following table gives an overview of the six models of the Nissan Leaf and the pricing. The table also shows the cost of the Charge Package, Technology Package, and All-Weather Package. These packages are additional and not included in the overall price of the model. For more information, visit the website.
| 2019 Nissan Leaf models | S | SV | SL | S Plus | SV Plus | SL Plus |
| Price | $29,990 | $32,600 | $36,300 | $36,500 | $38,510 | $42,550 |
| Battery pack | 40kWH or 147 horsepower | 40kWH or 147 horsepower | 40kWH or 147 horsepower | 62kWh or 214 horsepower | 62kWh or 214 horsepower | 62kWh or 214 horsepower |
| Charge Package | $1,690 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Technology Package | – | $2,200 | $650 | – | $1,800 | – |
| All-Weather Package | $450 | $900 | – | $450 | $900 | – |
The 2019 model is among the second generation of the Nissan Leaf cars. The technology in the latest model is better as it offers more range and better acceleration. Compared with other EVs, the Nissan Leaf lacks in specifications. However, the car is economical and one of the top-selling EVs of all time.