The plug-in electric Nissan LEAF has now been on sale for more than 10 years over two generations. The first model started with a minimal range of 73 miles, but the LEAF has been continuously updated and can now go more than 200 miles on a charge with a 60-kilowatt-hour battery in the upgraded 2023 Nissan LEAF SV Plus.
Like the Chevrolet Bolt, it now effortlessly solves the EV needs of most Americans, if they don’t have a big family or lots of cargo.
It is fun to drive, and surprisingly capable on slippery pavement.
For 2023 Nissan revised the front end of the LEAF with a new grille shape and bumper. It also has new headlights, new wind deflectors and new badges. The base LEAF comes with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery and 149 miles of range.
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2023 Nissan LEAF SV Plus
The top SV Plus trim of the LEAF, in addition to the added range, comes with gloss black finishes inside, standard navigation and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An 8-inch screen is standard across the model range, as is the e-pedal, which lets drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate and come to a full stop and hold using only the accelerator pedal.
Even in higher trims, the LEAF’s cabin is basic transportation. The seats are cloth but comfortable. Most of the switchgear is plastic and even though the touchscreen is 8 inches, it’s small compared to some of its competitors like the Chevrolet Bolt. However, the screen worked crisply and connected to a phone easily, either in Bluetooth or wired Apple CarPlay.
The screen also has physical mode, volume and tuning controls, as well as buttons for climate control, all of which are easier to use while driving. There are storage spaces for attached phones and water bottles in the center area and both doors. The gear selector takes some getting used to, but the two types of USB ports (A and C) are appreciated. Overall, the cabin feels bigger than the vehicle’s size would let on.
The trunk is deep with about 23 cubic feet of space and the LATCH system for child seats is easy to use in the outboard seats. With two forward-facing child seats the space is livable, rear-facing seats would make for a tight fit.
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On the road, the LEAF SV Plus trim delivers 214 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque making for deceptively quick acceleration. There’s less pull from expressway speeds, but most buyers with a four-cylinder engine will be impressed with the output.
The front-wheel drive LEAF SV Plus rides comfortably with 17-inch wheels and an independent front suspension. The tires are narrower than most with a width of 205 mm, making the vehicle exceedingly confident on muddy dirt roads. EV’s have a lower center of gravity than most traditionally powered vehicles, leading to better handling generally.
It has three driving modes, Normal, Eco and B, which stands for Battery. That last mode features the most regenerative braking and will slow the car to a stop as well as hold it on an incline.
Stopping for a charge a local DC fast charger brought the 2023 Nissan LEAF from 33 to 53 percent in about 20 minutes. That added about 50 miles to its 212-mile total range. Nissan says it should take 1 hour to charge up to 80 percent with perfect equipment. It will take 11.5 hours to charge on a Level 2 home charger.
Standard driver assist technologies with Nissan Safety Shield 360 including Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning, radar-based Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking.
There are a lot of expensive EVs on the market from makers as diverse as Ford, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. Six figures is an easy cap to crest even from GMC and its Hummer EV. But between the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt and 2023 Nissan LEAF, there are two EVs for around $30,000. Once the Chevrolet Equinox EV arrives next year there will be three affordable options in popular sizes and segments. That should make buyer’s switch to EVs, even a reluctant one, a whole lot easier.
