Nissan’s Leaf follow-up will become its best-selling electric model

By Ronan Glon Published September 16, 2019

Nissan IMx concept — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nissan showed a surprising amount of foresight when it released the original Leaf in 2010. It was one of the first modern electric cars on the market, and it’s better than ever now that it’s in its second generation, but its hatchback body is out of tune with market demands in 2019. Buyers want ground clearance, big wheels, and a rugged design. That’s why the Japanese firm is honing in on the crossover segment as it plans a follow-up to the Leaf.

We’ve heard rumors of a Leaf-based crossover for years, and they’re finally about to materialize. Industry trade journal Automotive News learned Nissan showed the yet-unnamed model to its top American dealers. Photography wasn’t allowed, but some of the people who saw it and learned about it anonymously shed light on what to expect.

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On paper, the specs sound good. The crossover has five seats, up to 300 miles of driving range, and it’s capable of hitting 60 mph from a stop in under five seconds. That figure makes it quicker than the curvaceous 370Z, but it won’t be presented or marketed as a sports car. It will arrive as a family-focused do-it-all aimed at buyers seeking a relatively normal car that just happens to be electric.

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Nissan will position its next EV above the Leaf, though it won’t be a premium model dropped into the arena Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Jaguar are fighting in. Its main rivals will include the Tesla Model Y, which is tentatively scheduled to enter production in 2020, and Ford’s upcoming Mustang-inspired EV.

Automotive News learned the model wears a “futuristic” look that resembles nothing currently on the market. It borrows a handful of styling cues from the IMx concept (pictured) unveiled the 2017 Tokyo Auto Show, and stylists took advantage of the relatively compact electric powertrain to tweak its proportions. One of the dealers who got a preview of the model explained the wow-effect continues inside — the entire dashboard is hidden until the driver pushes the start button.

Nissan will reportedly travel to the 2019 edition of the Tokyo show that opens its doors in October to give us a preview of the model, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the company unveils. The production version of Nissan’s next EV will begin arriving in showrooms in early 2021, meaning we might not see it until the 2022 model year. When it comes, it’s reasonable to speculate it will outsell the Leaf by a wide margin, even though it will cost considerably more.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Nissan wants the 2023 Ariya to be its comeback EV, but the bar has been raised

Front view of the 2023 Nissan Ariya.

Nissan played an understated role in the modern era of electric cars. While Tesla gets most of the attention, the Nissan Leaf became the first modern mass-market EV when it launched in December 2010. But Nissan has squandered that early lead. The Leaf remains a decent car, but Nissan needed to follow it up with another model, specifically an SUV, that would appeal to more car shoppers. That’s where the 2023 Nissan Ariya comes in.
The Ariya is the long-awaited sequel to the Leaf, boosting updated tech, better performance, and an SUV body style to match current trends. But during the Ariya’s long gestation (it was originally supposed to launch in 2021), other automakers have come up with electric SUVs of their own. So while it was once a leader, Nissan must now follow the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6, among others.
Pricing starts at $44,485 (with destination) for the base Ariya Engage trim level with front-wheel drive and the smaller 65-kilowatt-hour (63-kWh usable capacity) battery pack. Pricing rises to $61,485 for the top Platinum+ model with all-wheel drive and a 91-kWh (87-kWh usable capacity) pack, but all-wheel drive models won’t arrive until after the front-wheel drive models. Nissan hasn’t discussed plans to assemble the Ariya in the U.S., so it likely won’t qualify for the revised federal EV tax credit.

Design and interior
If it had launched even two years ago, the Ariya would have looked cutting-edge. Its rounded exterior surfaces make a nod to aerodynamics while still preserving the SUV look buyers love. It’s a nice-looking vehicle too, but so are the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6, all of which have gone on sale since the Ariya was announced in 2020. Nissan is no longer a trendsetter, but the Ariya can at least claim a more SUV-like feel than those other EVs, in both its tall profile and high-and-mighty driving position.
More significant than the styling, though, is that the Ariya rides on a new EV-specific platform. In contrast to the Leaf, which shares some of its structure with gasoline cars, engineers could take full advantage of the efficiencies of an electric powertrain and maximize interior space. Like certain other automakers, Nissan also opted out of a frunk in order to maximize passenger space, moving components like the air conditioner under the hood to make more room in the cabin.
Rounded surfaces nod to aerodynamics while still preserving the SUV look buyers love.

Cars

Jeep is launching its first two electric SUVs in the U.S. in 2024

Rendering of the Jeep Recon electric SUV.

Jeep will launch four electric SUVs for North America and Europe by the end of 2025, with at least two coming to the U.S., the automaker confirmed Thursday. While Jeep has some plug-in hybrids in its lineup, these will be the brand's first all-electric models.

The first of these models to launch will be the Jeep Recon, which is scheduled to start production in 2024, with reservations opening in early 2023. While it won't be fully revealed until next year, Jeep confirmed the Recon will have a "one-touch power top, removable doors, and glass," similar to the current Jeep Wrangler. While it doesn't replace the Wrangler, it's definitely inspired by the iconic off-roader, Jim Morrison, head of the Jeep brand in North America, said during a presentation of the electrification plan.

Cars

Inside the Vietnamese giant that wants to sell you your next EV

VinFast VF 8.

The list of companies hoping to grab a slice of the electric car market in America grows monthly. Many are start-ups that you’ve never heard of -- and that you may never hear about, because the leap between loudly stating that you’re going to build a car and doing it is significant.

Vietnam-based VinFast harbors similar ambitions but it has a very different background. It’s part of Vingroup, an industrial giant that stands proud as one of the largest conglomerates in Vietnam and whose revenues accounted for about 2.2% of the nation’s GDP in 2020. That's huge. It does not lack the funds to become a global carmaker; it also doesn’t lack the experience. VinFast’s cars, buses, and scooters are a reasonably common sight on Vietnamese roads, and Vingroup operates a stunningly wide selection of businesses in sectors like construction, education, tourism, and health care. This isn’t the automotive equivalent of a middle-school garage band -- it's Warped Tour material.