Turning over a new green leaf
WHILE many motor manufacturers are only just getting in on the act of designing their first all-electric vehicles, Nissan are already onto the second generation of their highly acclaimed electric vehicle.
Available at Freelance Motors, Braye Road, the sleeker, newer, all-electric Leaf comes with fresh exterior and interior design and a more refined and efficient battery and engine. New tech includes LED rear lights, seven-inch infotainment system and automatic headlights.
Adding to to these extra selling points, the new Leaf comes to the market cheaper than its forerunner. And with other advanced technological refinements (Nissan Intelligent Mobility providing extra safety and driver assurance, plus Nissan Connect EV app for seamless mobile integration) it seems set to continue its predecessor’s market domination (which has drawn 300,000 owners globally since it went on sale in 2010).
I was given a quick tour of the Leaf’s interior and dash layout by Martin Roussel, your friendly Nissan sales specialist at Freelance, before going off for a test drive in it. It was the top of the range Tekna model, which boasts many attributes as standard – not least of which is the pro-pilot autonomous driving facility with optional self-parking.
Comfortable leather seats, plenty of legroom, good driving position and good all-round vision enhance the driver’s sense of control and well-being. The dash and controls are clearly laid out and easy to use. The infotainment screen with seamless smart phone integration gives you easy access to all the information and entertainment you want. Rear view parking sensors and camera are standard on the Tekna. Good rear seat space and 433 litres of boot space in quality surroundings finish the interior spec.
And from the off, as you accelerate away quickly and quietly, you’ll find the Leaf is exceedingly good to drive.
While the motor is the same as before, the new inverter – the heavy-duty electronic device that supplies and controls the electricity going around the car – makes it more powerful.
Extra thrills come from a nicely torquey set-up that now generates 148bhp (up 40bhp from its predecessor). Acceleration is instant, giving driver and passenger the immediate thrill you would ordinarily get only on a much higher powered conventional petrol engine car. The Leaf accelerates from 0-62 in the very respectable time of 7.9sec. It drives and handles local roads well, with precise steering and good road holding.
One of the Leaf’s many plus points is its increased battery range – up to 177 miles from the 107 mile range of its predecessor, meaning longer drives and more time between charging. The battery is the same physical size as it was before, but new chemistry and design means it has a capacity of 40kWh.
The charge sockets are under a flap in the front of the car. When you plug in, it will take 21 hours from empty to 100% off a household plug or 7.5 hours with a home 7kW charger (a home charger comes with the new Leaf as part of the package from Nissan at Freelance Motors). You can get an 80% charge in 40 minutes from a 50kW fast-charge unit.
Supplementing its eco-credentials when driving is the Leaf’s innovative e-Pedal button. A flick of this switch allows drivers to control acceleration and deceleration from the accelerator pedal alone. Slowing down immediately initiates regenerative braking, helping maximise battery range as it recharges.
This is excellent for driving on winding and rolling motorways but also for moving in slow traffic on your commute into St Peter Port, for instance, giving you easier control of the start-stop motion.
Out on the open road you can switch the e-pedal off to enjoy faultless torquey, near-silent acceleration and for cruising at longer distances you can always lock into eco mode using a button to the right of the e-pedal switch. In this mode the Leaf consumes less power for the traction motor and heater and air conditioner operations, enabling the range of the vehicle to be maximised.
The new Leaf provides advanced technology, driver comfort and fun-to-drive ability in an environmentally friendly package. All of this is distilled beautifully to make driving it a complete pleasure.
u For more detailed information or to book a test drive, telephone Martin Roussel at Freelance Motors.
