More conservative in design compared to the model it replaces, the 2018 Nissan Leaf is just around the corner. Confirmed to debut at the beginning of September at an event in Tokyo, the compact-sized hatchback has been teased once again.
The second teaser isn’t about the LED headlights of the all-new model, but depicts the steering wheel and the instrument cluster. From it, it’s easy to work out that we’re dealing with digital instruments that are arranged in a more visually satisfying fashion that what the current Leaf has to offer.
“Oh look, it says Pilot there.” It certainly does, and a second look reveals that the semi-autonomous driving system is operating at 95 km/h, translating to 59 miles per hour in American and British currency. Right under the D symbol, you’ll notice the odometer showing 225.5 kilometers. Is this an Easter egg that implies the Leaf can travel an EPA-rated 140 miles on a full charge?
It might be, but there’s more to it than that. You see, the 2018 Nissan Leaf is expected to be offered with an optional battery pack. From 60 kWh capacity, the lithium-ion battery should be good for anything between 215 and 250 miles (346 to 410 kilometers). That’s the estimate offered by Kazuo Yajima, the automaker’s global director of electric vehicle and HEV technology.
If I may turn the focus back to ProPilot, the system in the Leaf is meant to reduce “the hassle of stop-and-go highway driving.” Virtually the same semi-autonomous technology available in the Serena and X-Trail, ProPilot can control acceleration, braking, and steering during single-lane driving on the highway. The facelifted Qashqai will receive ProPilot in the spring of 2018, and Nissan is committed to perfecting the technology even further.
As we wait for Nissan to hit us with the third teaser, it should be noted that the first-generation Leaf holds the title of world’s best-selling electric vehicle. To date, more than 270,000 examples have been sold in the entire world.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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