With the proliferation of electric vehicles on the market, the Nissan LEAF is unfortunately flying under the radar of consumers, at least those who prefer to dive straight into an electric crossover rather than a car like the manufacturer’s only electric car in Canada.
That’s why Nissan strategists have decided to rejuvenate the LEAF for the 2023 model year, the city car that will first be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in the next few days, along with the Pathfinder Rock Creek among others.
2023 Nissan Leaf | Photo: Nissan
The Nissan LEAF is still available in three trim levels: LEAF SV, LEAF SV PLUS and LEAF SL PLUS, the last two being based on the LEAF PLUS version of the car.
Remember that Nissan continues its strategy of marketing two versions of the car: the “regular” and the one with a little more autonomy … and power!
For 2023, the car’s front fascia is revised with a new “grille”, a redesigned bumper and this darkened finish in the headlights. What’s more, the front badge is now illuminated, a trend seen on more and more vehicles. For optimized aerodynamics, the car’s designers improved the shape of the tire deflectors, diffuser and spoiler to make the car “smoother”.
As for the new 17-inch wheels, they are standard on all versions of the car.
2023 Nissan Leaf | Photo: Nissan
Nissan didn’t just focus on the exterior for this mid-cycle redesign. No, the interior also gets the brand’s new badge, as well as a new introductory video in the screen behind the steering wheel. The two more accessible liveries get cloth seats, while the SL PLUS dresses its upholstery in leather.
Under the hood, the powertrain remains the same with a 147 horsepower motor and 236 lb-ft of torque, with a 40 kWh battery capacity. The PLUS version has a 60 kWh battery, 214 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque.
2023 Nissan Leaf | Photo: Nissan
Although Natural Resources Canada’s calculations are not yet published on the website, it would be surprising if the new LEAF’s numbers change drastically.
A revamped Nissan LEAF will do the automaker’s lineup some good, but what’s really missing at the time of writing is the Nissan Ariya, the crossover that is still delayed a few months due to supply chain troubles.
