The second-generation Nissan Leaf has made its launch debut in Malaysia, several months after the electric vehicle was presented at last year’s Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS).
Arriving as a fully-imported (CBU) model from Japan, the Leaf doesn’t qualify for incentives under the current Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) scheme. As such, the sole variant that is available to customers is priced at RM188,888 on-the-road without insurance.
Each purchase comes with a three-year/100,000 km warranty and three-year/60,000 km free service maintenance, while the car’s lithium-ion battery gets an eight-year/160,000 km warranty for peace of mind ownership.
If you want an alternative to the conventional method of buying a car, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) is also offering a car subscription service for the Leaf, which costs RM3,500 a month for a three-year contract. At the end of the term, customers can choose to buy the car at current market value based on prior negotiations, or opt for a new Leaf altogether.
There’s also an owners privilege programme for Leaf adopters, where they will enjoy complimentary 23 days a year usage of the X-Trail, Serena and Navara for other travelling needs, during the first three years of ownership.
For the money, you’ll get a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is a significant improvement from the 24 kWh unit fitted to the first-generation model launched way back in 2013. As such, the claimed operating range is 311 km based on the NEDC test cycle.
Recharging the 350-volt battery is done with a Type 1 port located at the car’s nose (or SAE J1772 if you want get technical about things) and the onboard AC charger that is rated at 6.6 kW. Every Leaf purchased comes as standard with a single-phase home wallbox charger that delivers 6.6 kW of single-phase AC charging power, and it will take approximately seven hours to fully charge the battery.
If you’re away from home, you can also drop by any of the 17 Nissan dealerships operated by ETCM for free usage of the same 6.6 kW wallbox. The company says it plans to install more chargers in other ETCM locations in the future. You can also plug the car to other public charging stations, but keep in mind you will need to use an adapter (not provided with the Leaf) if the stations feature a Type 2 connector.
An even faster means of charging is DC charging, and the Leaf is capable of receiving up to 50 kW via a separate CHAdeMO port, which will fully charge the Leaf in about an hour. Several companies in Malaysia have already set up DC charging stations, including ABB Malaysia (Subang Jaya), Nichicon (Bandar Baru Bangi) and PLUS (Ayer Keroh R&R).
The battery pack itself is mounted underneath the vehicle floor, and supplies power to an EM57 electric motor that drives the front wheels. The mill puts out 150 PS (110 kW) and 320 Nm of torque, which results in a zero to 100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 155 km/h.
Regenerative braking is present, and there are different modes to adjust the aggressiveness of the system, including D and B modes on the gear lever, along with an Eco mode. There’s also an e-Pedal function, which allows you to accelerate and fully decelerate using just one pedal.
Unlike the first-gen car, the new Leaf features a less divisive design that draws inspiration from the IDS Concept and fifth-generation March/Micra. At the front, you’ll find Nissan’s signature V-motion grille flanked by angular LED headlamps, giving the EV a rather aggressive face.
Down the sides, part of the C-pillars is blacked-out to create a “floating roof” look, a cue that is further perpetuated by a “kink” on them. For our market, the Leaf comes with 17-inch ‘Turbine’ wheels, wrapped with 215/50 profile tyres. Meanwhile at the rear, the “boomerang-shaped” taillights mimic the light signature of the daytime running lights up front, and they blend in neatly with the two-tone tailgate.
On that mention, the Leaf is available in six exterior finishes, including four single-tone and two dual-tone options. For the former, there’s Brilliant Silver, Super black, Gunmetal Grey and Deep Blue Pearl. Meanwhile, the first of the themed options sees a Pearl White body and Deep Blue Pearl roof, while the other matches a Magnetic Red body to roof painted Super Black.
Moving inside, the redesigned dashboard is now simpler in appearance, as the two-tier instrument cluster has been replaced with a single seven-inch, full-colour, customisable display instead. Elsewhere, all the air vents have been reshaped, with those in the centre now being much slimmer than in the past. These occupy a centre stack that also holds a five-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is paired with a four-speaker sound system.
In terms of interior equipment, you get automatic air-conditioning with a timer function, a multifunction steering wheel, keyless entry and start, as well as seats trimmed in leather/Alcantara. For the last item, two colours – Graphite Black and Stone Grey – are offered for all exterior finishes.
As for safety and driver assistance systems, the Leaf gets six airbags (front, side, curtain), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), ABS, EBD, brake assist, Hill Start Assist, as well as several Nissan Intelligent Safety Shield systems. These include Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), Around View Monitor (I-AVM) with Moving Object Detection (I-MOD), Driver Alertness (I-DA), Ride Control and Trace Control.
We’ve already had a go in the Leaf during our time in Hong Kong for the Nissan Futures event. For detailed specifications of the Leaf, head over to CarBase.my.
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