Is the Nissan Leaf still relevant in todays world?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the styling. For the 2023 model year Nissan gave the leaf a little facelift to bring it in-line with the Bigger Nissan Ariya. At the front we get this different fake grill design with the same pattern to the Ariya. We get the same LED headlights though but the bumper is slightly different than before and we also get some fog lights. Also at the front we get the charging port which is quite handy and is most likely the best place to charge. Finally to finish the facelift at the front off we get the new Nissan Logo. Lets have a look at the specs of the Nissan Leaf.
Car and engine specs and price
So, for the Nissan leaf there are 2 battery options. There is the 39 kWh battery pack which will make the car do about 168 miles of range. This has a 148 bhp motor connected to it. The next battery pack is the Leaf e+ and this have a 59 kWh battery pack and this will make the car do about 239 miles of range but this has a more powerful 214 bhp electric motor connected to it. Whilst this is not great as a new Peugeot e-208 can do 258 miles of range, it is not that bad considering it has 60 bhp more than the Peugeot and the Leaf is also bigger than that. The price of the new Nissan Leaf starts at £28,995.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side changes are kept to a minimum but we do get some new colours which in this grey I do really like. We also get some new wheel options which are inspired by yet again the bigger Ariya.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back the changes are less discrete. This is because there are actually no changes apart from the logo change. I am fine with this though as I think it looks quite nice from the rear. I would have liked to have seen the taillights upgraded to LED though.
Interior – Design
Stepping inside the Nissan Leaf Facelift and there are not many changes. We get this nice interior with some leather touches and the new Nissan logo. We also get the same gear shifter and infotainment system as before although you can now use alexa with this infotainment system like you can on the Juke and Qashqai. Overall the car is starting to feel outdated but it is liveable. I think if they added the newer infotainment system from the bigger Ariya in it, it would have made the car feel more modern for a few more years. Lets check the rear seats.
Practicality
So, getting into the rear legroom is ok but headroom is not that great if you are over 6 foot and you sit up straight. One issue that I have though is because the batteries are stored under the floor and this is based on the first gen still the floor is quite high which means you have to sit in a awkward position. Lets check the boot out.
Boot Size
So opening the boot you are welcomed with a 435 litre boot size with the seats up What I don’t like though is that you don’t have anywhere to store your charging cables which is annoying and if you fold down the rear seats, they don’t fold down flat so you have to lift your items over a ridge. Also if you have the Bose sound system there is a big sub woofer and amp in the back.
Summary
So, what do I think about the Nissan leaf then. Well I still think it is very relevant in today's market. The facelift has helped it keep up with its rivals but to really prove it is needed I think it needs another generation. Sadly the Nissan Leafs future is unknown and it looks like the leaf with live on as a smaller Ariya SUV. This may help with some of the issues that have been mentioned though for example the practicality.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 4/5
Practicality 3/5
Total 12/15
Model | Nissan Leaf Tenka |
Price | £31,995 |
Engine | 148 BHP Motor with 39 kWh battery pack |
Transmission | 1 Speed Automatic |
On Sale | Yes |
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