7th July, 2017
The hotly anticipated new Nissan LEAF is due to be unveiled on 6th September 2017, presumably in Tokyo (although this is yet to be confirmed).
In the run up to the launch, Nissan has been sharing some sneak-peek images and videos to whet our appetites. The new vehicle is sure to have a sharper, more modern look, with styling cues borrowed from the IDS concept.
It has been confirmed that the new LEAF will come with Nissan’s ProPilot technology, as previewed on the Serena in Japan last year.
This is a Semi-Autonomous Driving package, which allows the vehicle to control steering, braking and acceleration when in a highway/motorway environment.
It has further been announced that the LEAF will feature ProPilot Park. Using sonars and cameras, the car will be able to park itself in parallel, angled, front or straight back-in parking spots, handling throttle, braking and steering input. A number of spy shots are starting to appear, showing the heavily camouflaged bodywork, and the pre-production dashboard.
Increasingly, these are looking very close to final production-ready designs. With less than 2 months before the official unveil event, we will be watching keenly to see what other information can be gleaned from Nissan beforehand. Most notably, what will be the battery size(s) available from launch, and what will the anticipated range be?
Perhaps Nissan have been able to increase efficiency, as seen in some competitors recently, so that the battery size itself isn’t the limitation it once was. Could we see a 40kWh battery providing over 200 miles of range, or even more? Watch this space!
