Nissan Leaf - New Car Review

[RG]

So there I was sitting at work quietly today when my boss comes in and says “come down and have a look at this loan car”. Knowing that earlier in the day we had an electric vehicle charge point installed in our loading dock I had a fair idea of what was going on.

We get down to the loading dock and find a nice blue Nissan Leaf “Zero Emissions” (I think they forgot that making the car and recharging it does actually emit emissions!) sitting there waiting to be pored over.

Pics for posterity




So being a bit of a car nut I was instantly all over it, I had seen it and had a bit of a look whilst it was on show at the Melbourne International Motor Show but hey, how much of a look can you really have there with thousands of other people swarming around?

First Impressions
Looking at it, it looks just as you’d expect any normal mid-sized hatch to look, small, inoffensive and almost kind of cute in an ugly duckling way. Unlock it using its proximity key fob and step inside and it’s big, much bigger than what I expected. I’d have to say it would be on par with a Corolla/Focus in terms of interior space. Sitting in the pilot’s seat you are surrounded by what I can only describe as a rather futuristic dash and centre console. An instrument cluster telling you all the vitals, with the obvious exception of a fuel gauge. Stereo/centre display is very functional and actually one of the better efforts I’ve seen in recent times and looks like something you’d expect from Pioneer, Clarion et al. Air-con controls were a bit of a letdown and l have a suspicion that they have been lifted from another model.

Pics!




The gear selector and handbrake are a totally different story however. Handbrake is exactly where you’d expect it, back of the centre console, but is not a lever but rather a switch. It actually looks like an enlarged version of a power window switch! Push down on it lightly to release and lift to engage, simple! The gear shift looked intriguing, like a joystick with a button marked “P” on top in the centre of the console with a diagram behind it showing what gear is where.

Push the button, slide the joystick towards you and then forward and you’ve got reverse. Button in, joystick towards you and then towards the back of the car and you have drive.

Then came the question I wasn’t at all expecting, my boss turned to me and said “want a drive?” I quickly responded in the affirmative (what I actually said won’t get past the swear filter) and got myself ready.

The Drive

Foot on the brake, starter button just above my left knee pushed a few beeps and the dash lights and instrument cluster had come on. I took this to mean that we were a go and proceeded to slip it into reverse. No clunk or anything like that to let you know you are in gear, just a light saying that it is so. Back up a bit and realise that this thing seems to be smooth, really smooth. There is a beep beep beep emitted to warn any targe…..I mean pedestirans you were lining u….I mean watching out for using the full colour High Def rear view camera. Stop, figure out that I’ve selected drive and move forward, still really smooth on take off. Pull out of the dock onto the street and all of a sudden I realise that I’m moving forward but not making any noise, this is quite disconcerting! It is silent, completely silent. Pull up at the lights, brakes feel great. I’m almost starting to reconsider my original standpoint of “this is a joke car right?”. There were 4 of us in the car so I give it a little right hoof expecting that I’ll need to get up it just to make it move. I mean, 4 blokes in an electric car?!?!? To my surprise we moved, and we moved fast. Like wow that’s the speed limit fast I better slow down we’re in the CBD here fast. We all look at each other with a WTF look on our faces and then crack up laughing. This thing has torque, more torque that any of us thought. Not surprising, whilst Nissan quotes power at 80kw torque is rated at 280nm! And that’s all available from near on idle.

Drove a few kay and was instantly impressed with the drive. This car is no joke and will sell. It’s quiet, comfortable, perky and well equipped. The only downside I can see is the fact that you only get 170+- kay per charge (Nissan say this, I’d expect 100-120 realistically), not an issue though if you have a charge station where you park. Whilst this is not a reality now, it WILL be very shortly as there are a number of public car parks installing charge points and the Leaf has built into its GPS a list of all available charge stations.

This car is good, if you needed a car to do short distances (station runs/school runs) I would actually consider it. I know right, me of all people on the side of an electric car.

Charging is easy too using the supplied cable and using a different socket it’ll be able to be plugged into the wall at home. Car parks will have rapid recharge points (like ours) to give you a “splash and dash” should you need it. To charge it’s as simple as plugging one end into the car and the other into the wall socket/charge station.



Oh and in case you are wondering, it does have an engine lol





Apologies in advance for the quality of the pics, I only had my iPhone so that had to do. I am tempted to take my camera in however. If anyone is after any specific shots let me know and I'll see what I can do.