Time to turn over a new Leaf? Not quite.
The second-generation Nissan Leaf is getting a mild spruce-up for the 2022 model year ahead of the launch of its replacement, due around 2025, which will adopt a crossover body style.
The updated Leaf will arrive in Australia in the second half of 2022, with local pricing and specification to be released closer to launch.
It boasts a refreshed exterior with a blacked-out front fascia and the new Nissan logo on the front and back.
There’s also a new range of 16- and 17-inch alloy wheel options that are said to “bring an increased element of sportiness”.
The grey Leaf in the press imagery is fitted with the 17-inch alloy wheels which appear to have a cheese grater-esque design, with lighter elements forming a ring around the outside.
There’ll be two new exterior paint colours available on the updated Leaf – Universal Blue and Magnetic Blue – that have been previously seen on the new-generation Qashqai and all-electric Ariya.
They join the existing range of six single- and five two-tone exterior paint colours available on the Leaf.
The updated Leaf will continue to offer two battery options, delivering up to 385km of range on the stricter WLTP cycle in longer-range Leaf e+ guise. We don’t expect any changes to the Leaf’s battery packs or its electric motors.
Both versions of the current, 2021 Nissan Leaf are powered by a single, electric motor driving the front axle, hooked up to a lithium-ion battery pack.
The standard Leaf features a 110kW/320Nm e-motor and a 40kWh battery, while the e+ features a 160kW/340Nm e-motor and a 62kWh battery.
Updated European-spec Nissan Leaf models will continue to offer the ProPilot semi-autonomous driving mode and Amazon Alexa integration through the NissanConnect app, but CarExpert understands Australian-spec Leaf models still won’t get these features.
The interior of the updated Leaf has carried over from the pre-update model and retains a 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Nissan Leaf is seen as one of the original mainstream electric vehicles (EVs), with its first generation launched at the end of 2010. Nissan has sold more than 577,000 units globally over its lifespan thus far.
It was ahead of its time at launch but has since been overtaken in sales by many of its EV peers including the Tesla Model 3, MG ZS EV, and Hyundai Kona.
In November 2021, Nissan announced as part of its Ambition 2030 vision it’s aiming to bring 23 electrified models, including 15 new EVs, to market by fiscal year 2030.
Over the next five years, it’ll also introduce 20 new models with electric or e-Power powertrains.
By that time, it wants to have an electrification mix of more than 50 per cent globally across both the Nissan and Infiniti brands.
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