Why the new Nissan LEAF is so important

Countries and cities are finding ways to stop fossil-fuel-powered cars from entering densely populated areas in the future. Car makers are making promises to move away from combustion engines in favour for electric drivetrains. Tesla has paved the way forward and all the way in the East, Nissan releases their latest all-electric Nissan LEAF.

Improving over the previous model, Nissan has improved the LEAF leaps and bounds. First is the increased range of 400km makes the LEAF extremely usable especially in both the cities and short travels. More and more electric charging points are slowly emerging making the LEAF quite an interesting car because of thanks to the new design, the car now has 150hp and 320Nm of electric torque.

On top of that, Nissan has opted to install a slew of technologies into the LEAF. Technologies such as ProPILOT which the ProPILOT autonomous drive technology and park technology to add icing to the cake.

ProPILOT Autonomous drive technology

Once activated, it can automatically control the distance to the vehicle in front, using a speed preset by the driver (between about 30 km/h and 100 km/h). It can also help the driver steer and keep the vehicle centred in its lane. If the car in front stops, the ProPILOT system will automatically apply the brakes to bring the vehicle to a full stop if necessary. After coming to a full stop, the vehicle can remain in place even if the driver’s foot is off the brake. If traffic restarts, the car will resume driving when the driver touches the switch again or lightly presses the accelerator to activate ProPILOT. All these functions can significantly reduce stress when driving on the highway in both heavy and flowing traffic.

ProPILOT Park Technology

ProPILOT Park is a fully fledged system that helps drivers park by automatically
controlling acceleration, brakes, handling, shift changing and parking brakes to guide the car into a parking spot. By combining advanced image processing technology using four high-resolution cameras and information from 12 ultrasonic sensors around the car, ProPILOT Park guides the car into space safely and accurately. All steering, braking and throttle inputs for various parking manoeuvres, such as parallel parking, are automated. The system can automatically identify a parking space around the car so that the driver doesn’t need to set a target parking position. Requiring only three easy steps for activation, this technology liberates drivers from one of the most tedious, and at times the most challenging, tasks of driving.

Using NissanConnect, a key part of Nissan Intelligent Integration, the driver can search
for continuously updated information such as the location and operating hours of free
charging stations and charging station availability. Owners can also access their
smartphone to check the car’s battery status.

In terms of looks, the Nissan LEAF’s new sharp and sleek look really does make it a more modern over its predecessor. I really wouldn’t mind considering one when Tan Chong Motor plans to launch it next year in 2018. The looks are inspired by the IDS Concept which Nissan showcased in 2015.

On the interior, everything looks pretty standard. You get a 7″ centre display with Apple CarPlay and a combination of an analogue speedometer and a multi-information display. Energy-efficient air-conditioning and heating systems provide elevated comfort inside the cabin for all occupants. A smartphone app provides convenience features such as remote preconditioning of the vehicle’s interior temperature and wireless remote charging.

While the energy capacity of the lithium-ion battery pack has been significantly increased, the dimensions remain essentially unchanged, so that the cabin comfortably accommodates five people. What’s more, the rear cargo area has been redesigned to provide increased luggage space, offering 435 litres.

More so, the future is definitely electric and I like the way where Nissan is heading towards. Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM), the sole distributor of NISSAN vehicles in Malaysia, confirms that the LEAF will be here in 2018. Pricewise, no news on that yet but hopefully there will be better incentives for electric cars in 2018’s budget.

Check out the gallery below here.