Range-topping electric hatch gets bigger battery for more range and more powerful motor. Is it worth the price jump?
When the original Nissan Leaf came out in 2010, owners were claiming a real-world range of little more than 70 miles. By the time the second-generation car came out last year, our sister publication What Car? was quoting a real-world range of about 130 miles. And now we’re reviewing a Leaf promising up to 239 miles on the seemingly realistic official WLTP test.But this new, 62kWh battery-equipped Leaf isn’t just about getting you pretty much exactly from London to Blackpool without rejuicing. Don’t be fooled by the rather dull trim name: this is as close to the Leaf Nismo as the UK is going to get, for now at least, because that bigger-capacity battery allows the motor’s power to be boosted from the 148bhp to a healthy 214bhp. Torque is up slightly, too.Also new is the Leaf e+’s ability to use the latest public rapid chargers; with its standard charging rate of 70kW, it can reach 80% in 40 minutes, just like the 50kW-limited regular Leaf. Other, less significant changes include a new front end design.
Source: Autocar
