2022 Nissan Leaf. Source: Nissan
Japanese carmaker Nissan has slightly reworked its Leaf electric sedan, and confirmed that it will arrive in Australia in the second half of 2022.
With subtle new stylings, colours and rims, including a revised grille, the next generation of the Nissan Leaf will be offered with the same two battery options as its predecessor, and the same advanced driving assistance in the form of its Pro Pilot with e-Pedal driving.
Equally, the same line-up of info-tainment tech will be on offer including Nissan Connect, which can be used to control the car’s climate remotely and also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2022 Nissan Leaf. Source: Nissan
As for the new additions, drivers will be able to choose from 16 and 17 inch rims, with a worked design that brings a touch of modernity and sportiness. The new grille abandons the chrome V for a blocked-in black lacquer nose, and both the grille and rims receive the new Nissan logo.
2022 Nissan Leaf. Source: Nissan
New body colours are coming to the catalogue in the form of “Sukumo Blue” which refers to the Japanese word for indigo, and a brighter Magnetic Blue. Both appeared on the new Qashqai recently and are also available on the Ariya electric SUV; they join the existing range of six monotone and five two-tone options.
Nissan has not provided images fo the Leaf in new colours but this is perhaps the Ariya concept in Sukumo Blue? Source: Nissan
The Leaf will still be offered with two battery options with 40 kWh or 62 kWh capacity, associated with electric motors of 110kW or 160kW power depending on the variant. This allows a range of up to 385 km for the larger battery option or 270km for the smaller battery on the WLTP cycle.
2022 Nissan Leaf LHD shown. Source: Nissan
On the charging front, the 2022 Leaf will stick by the CHADeMo plug standard which means it will be ready to go once vehicle-to-home standards are approved for use in Australia after the finalisation of the AGL trial (this is now fully underway with the arrival of commercial scale vehicle-to-grid inverters).
“The Nissan LEAF has always been about making advanced technology and the thrill of electric driving accessible to everyone with over 577,000 customers worldwide. LEAF has been designed around families’ needs to offer seamless connectivity and an efficient powertrain,” said Arnaud Charpentier, region VP of product strategy and pricing for Nissan AMIEO region regarding the new Leaf stylings.
2022 Nissan Leaf. Source: Nissan
Nissan sold a slow but steady stream of Leafs (367 were sold in 2021, as the EV mainstay took a backseat to newcomers like the MG ZS EV and Volvo XC40 Pure Recharge), so no doubt the carmaker’s Australian arm will count on the makeover kicking off some new sales records for the company.
Pricing for the Australian market will be released closer to launch but in Europe, where it will be available to order from the beginning of March, it will start at €34,400 ($A53,845 at today’s rates) excluding subsidies for the base 40kWh model.
Keyword: 2022 Nissan Leaf gets subtle makeover and new colours ahead of re-launch