New Nissan Leaf, the preview test of the third series of the electric car that changed history

YOKOHAMA – Sure, it has a bit of an effect. Because leading the evolution of the car that, one might say, has cleared the way for the electric car to be a real and possible alternative to the combustion engine is yet another confirmation of how being a visionary is sometimes worth more than anything else. It was in fact 2010 when Nissan presented the Leaf: the first battery-powered car intended for the mass market. A model that, to date, has convinced 700,000 people, generating the belief that one can move around the streets without making noise and, above all, without leaving a mark on the environment.

The Japanese company holds the record for having anticipated that epochal change in mobility that is revolutionizing the world of cars and beyond. A change that the same car intends to continue to push, now re-presenting itself with a completely updated third generation, available in Italy next year.

We tested it in preview in Japan. There where Nissan has its headquarters, in Yokohama and where, among the many test and development centers, it has the Grandrive of Oppama with a track on which it was possible to whip it without limits.

Just looking at it, the new Leaf immediately makes you understand that it has taken a step forward. Designed at Nissan's Global Design Studio in Atsugi and produced for European markets at the English plant in Sunderland, it has transformed from a sedan into a sleek crossover with a Cx of just 0.25. It boasts a body that combines sculpted surfaces and effective solutions such as flush door handles, or 3D rear light clusters, remaining compact in size with a length of 4.35 meters. The wheelbase of 2.69 meters allows it to offer a spacious passenger compartment, with a 437-liter trunk, covered by an electrochromic glass roof that becomes opaque or light at the press of a button.

There are many technologies reserved for the on-board living room, equipped on the dashboard with two 14.3-inch screens arranged in a single panel. As for infotainment, there is the Google suite integrated with voice commands, through which you can plan routes on the navigator based on recharges and autonomy, entrusting the audio to a Bose hi-fi system that isolates the indications, addressing them only to the driver.

Moving on to the mechanical part and the sensations we had behind the wheel, the new Leaf uses the same CMF-EV platform as the Ariya. It provides the option between two front-wheel drive powertrains of 130 and 160 kW (177/218 hp), powered respectively by a 52 and 75 kWh battery for 436 and 604 km of autonomy. Compatible with fast charging up to 150 kW (105 kW for the entry level version), it can fill up with electrons from 20 to 80% in about 30 minutes, acting as a “power bank” if necessary via the V2X function.

Quick to accelerate, thanks to the immediate torque that on the most performing model reaches 355 Nn, the jap is easy to handle and maneuver. It can in fact count on a complete safety package, including systems such as ProPilot Assist and also has the tried and tested e-Pedal Step to avoid using the brakes when in traffic, which slows the car thanks to the energy regeneration in the accelerator release phases.

The performance is obviously not that of a sports car, but the smoothness of the ride is more accentuated and once again makes the model a point of reference, ideal for use in and out of the city. Try it and believe it.