Vehicle Detail
NISSAN Leaf Acenta 40 kWh
For a mass-market EV, the Nissan Leaf was already a strong car; this second-generation Leaf is a fairly impressive step up, particularly when you consider that many rival manufacturers are still rushing to build their first dedicated electric cars.
Leaf e+ adds more range and power into the mix, if perhaps not enough overall to make it much of a particularly worthy upgrade over its older sibling.
Nevertheless, both Leafs undoubtedly have far wider-reaching appeal than the first-generation car. We're still not sold on whether those more reserved looks deliver much in the way of personality when compared to an i3 or Renault Zoe; then some might prefer understated looks to more in-your-face EVs.
Either way, the additional performance and the critical extension in driving range is sure to attract fans; at least on paper. And if you're searching for a secondhand electric car, a used Nissan Leaf also makes a lot of sense, especially now the batteries are bigger, giving them longer range for a longer life.
But we can see plenty of areas, including the control logic, interior design and ease of use, where there is plenty of room for improvement. And those chinks in the Leaf’s armour are likely to be taken advantage of by the next EVs rival manufacturers have in the works.
Nissan doesn’t appear worried though, claiming a 94 per cent satisfaction rating among Leaf owners – higher than any of its other models – is proof this electric car is extremely reliable, and customer loyalty is strong.
However, the Leaf is no longer one of the few all-electric cars around. In the face of increasing competition, we’ll have to see if it can maintain its success without releasing a radically different third-generation model; as ever, time will tell.
