Despite Nissan’s efforts to keep a lid on the 2018 Leaf, leaks and spy shots continue to trickle out. In what might be the biggest breach yet, Autobytel posted a full spec sheet along with pricing for the upcoming EV. While Nissan won’t confirm anything here, we have reason to believe that this is generally accurate, though we’ll have to wait for the full reveal next month to be sure. The Leaf’s range hasn’t been announced, but we do have horsepower and torque ratings. The $ 29,990 base price will undercut the Chevy Bolt EV and Tesla Model 3 by about $ 5,000, a huge win for Nissan.
The 2018 Leaf will make 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, a significant bump over the 107 hp and 187 lb-ft in the current model. It’s quite a bit down from the Bolt EV’s 200 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque, though the price difference makes up for that. With a curb weight of 3,433 pounds, the Leaf should provide adequate if not brisk acceleration. The spec sheet lists battery capacity at 40 kWh, down from the Bolt EV’s 60 kWh and the Model 3’s 50 or optional 75 kWh capacity. But up from the previous Leaf’s 30 kWh.
The 2018 Leaf comes in three trim levels, the Leaf S for $ 29,990, the Leaf SV for $ 32,490, and the Leaf SL for $ 36,200. It’s unclear what comes on which trim levels, but look for Nissan’s ProPilot Assist to be optional or standard on up-trim models. Other options include heated seats and a heated steering wheel. The Leaf comes with a basic warranty of 36 months or 36,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of 60 months or 60,000 miles. Like the current Leaf, look for good deals on used models a few years down the road.
Other details remain a mystery. The dimensions listed are different than the current model, but only fractionally so. As spy shots have shown, we’re still looking at a four-door hatchback. The general appearance is far more handsome than the divisive first-gen model. Stay tuned for the full reveal on September 5.
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