2019 Nissan Leaf – Is a Far Better Looking Car

After being the most successful electric car on the market, the Leaf has been finally retired a short while ago by the manufacturer. In its place they released an entirely new model with the 2019 Nissan Leaf 2.0. Even though at its core the two are basically the same car, there are quite a few differences which make the new version a lot better than its predecessor. For starters, the new Leaf boasts newer technologies, more features as well as a higher range than before. The interesting part is that it managed to achieve all of that while being cheaper than its predecessor. This is rather unusual in today’s market but no unheard of.

In detail

In order to achieve this amount of performance for a lower price, Nissan did have to cut a few corners. The new Leaf is not nearly as well built as some would like but even so, the car remains one of the cheaper and more capable electric cars on sale.

In order to keep development costs down, the new version of the car features the same platform as its predecessor. This means it uses a relatively basic suspension setup, average brakes and that’s about it. Even so, the car manages to impress with the amount of structural rigidity it has to offer. This was not an easy feat to achieve. Nissan was able to increase the rigidity without increasing the weight by using new materials such as higher strength steel.

2019 Nissan Leaf Price and Release date

The new 2019 Nissan Leaf is already available for sale across most markets around the World. The car now starts at roughly $31,000 which is quite a bit cheaper than some of its rivals. At the price, there is no other alternative to the Leaf. However, the higher end models, which will go for around $40,000, the Leaf is no longer such a good option with alternatives such as the Model 3.

The interior of 2019 Nissan Leaf

Over its predecessor, the new 2019 Nissan Leaf offers a far more conservative interior. The dashboard uses a regular layout with a wide center stack and a relatively modern approach to the electric-car interior. Sure, there is nothing special about the car but this is good as it will allow a wider part of the market to get into it.

There is a standard infotainment system in place, a large digital driver’s display as well as a much nicer steering wheel. While the materials are slightly worse than in its predecessor, there is more room available for the passengers while the trunk is 25% larger which is a massive increase. In the future we do hope for better seats, especially on the base model which get some rather basic ones that are not nearly as good as they should.

They also added quite a few safety features into the mix. There is a semi-autonomous mode which will allow the car to accelerate or decelerate on all itself. This will also allow it to stop in the case of an emergency which is a feature otherwise unavailable in most cars at this price point.

The exterior

Somehow, the 2019 Nissan Leaf is a far better looking car than its predecessor ever was. Instead of completely redesigning the look of the Leaf, they decided to polish it.

In the front there is a new grille design, which is sadly fake, swept-back headlights, a lower hood which aids visibility as well as a more aggressive bumper. In the rear there is a more aggressive rake to the tailgate, new tail lights as well as a floating-roof effect which further improves the way the car looks.

The powertrain of Nissan Leaf

The new electric motor now offers 147 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. This is a rather big bump over its predecessor. The new engine allows the Leaf to accelerate faster to 60 while also being able to maintain highway speeds with much more ease.

In order to feed it, Nissan installed a new 40 kWh batter-pack which will give the car up to 155 miles of all electric range. There will be a larger battery-pack in place of around 63 kWh. This one should give the new Leaf north of 225 miles of range. By doing this, Nissan will finally have a competitor to the Model 3 which is currently the leader of its class.