Nissan Leaf review

Once upon a time, the Nissan Leaf was the electric car. It was the world's first affordable EV, the biggest-selling, and the only one that was truly global. So Nissan knows a lot about battery cars as it's built more than 700,000 of them since 2010. Enough to stretch to the moon lots of times, or fill several Olympic swimming pools… or something.

But then Nissan lost its way. Out came a second Leaf, but it was more of a version 1.5: long journeys remained a slog because it didn't go far, but it was a fine car for home-charging owners and is still cherished by them, riding a solid-gold reputation for reliability. Alas by the time it came off sale, it had been resoundingly overtaken by countless more advanced rivals.

So this new one needed to be a complete step change. And it is. Now a crossover-cum-saloon built on the same foundations as the Ariya SUV, it's capable of long trips and can be a family's first car. It's roomier, by virtue of extra height (not length; it's actually shorter) but lower drag of 0.25Cd more than offsets its bigger frontal area.

Its electrical system is vastly more efficient and its tyres roll with less resistance. It goes further on a charge, and recharges faster. The interior and screens are unrecognisably better.

What are its rivals now its not a beanpole of a hatch?

Very fair point, the Leaf's opposition has changed as markedly as it has. It's main challengers are the Toyota C-HR+, Kia EV3 and EV4, Skoda Elroq, Renault Megane E-Tech, Tesla Model 3, Peugeot E-408, VW ID.3, Volvo EC40, and Smart #3. And many more.

What is this new range and charging?

Two battery options, at 52kWh for 270 miles and 75kWh for up to 375 miles WLTP on the narrower tyre option. If you look at those ranges, the two Leafs manage on smaller batteries than most rivals that travel as far. So at least in the WLTP cycle the Leaf is an efficient car.

Charge time is competitive rather than striking. The modern water-cooled battery makes steady use of a 150kW charger for 10-80 per cent on the big-battery version in half an hour. Very different from the old one. That car's battery with air cooling meant a feeble 50kW, and its CHAdeMO socket has gone the same way as VHS and Woolworths.

An approach of marginal gains seems to have helped motorway range, always an EV bugbear. So a steady 70mph (slightly more on the speedo) gets you 267 miles, and in traffic (slower is better for efficiency) over 300 miles. That's superb.

Is it Tesla-quick?

No. Do Tesla owners use the power anyway? The Leaf, being less aggressively motored, is easier to drive in traffic. But it's perfectly strong enough for main-road overtakes and posts an absolutely class-average 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds for the bigger-battery version. More numbers in the Driving section of this review. It's FWD but gets away smoothly so wheelspin isn't an issue.

It drives well. It feels trustworthy and predictable even as you chuck it at a bend. It doesn't grip too hard, so you can have fun using all the grip at not-mad speeds. It has a very well-wrought compromise of high-speed damping versus low-speed comfort.

What about the design?

We like it. It treads its very confident path, being obviously smooth while avoiding the blobbiness of endless Chinese crossovers. It should be timeless, and the lighting and other details are neat and original. Heck, the bright teal paint makes it look like a Ferrari Luce from some angles.

Check the motif in the rear lights and charge port – two upright lines and three horizontals. That's Japanese numerals. A Japanese speaker pronounces 'two-three' as 'ni san'.

Would a design critic enjoy the cabin too?

Probably. Like the outside it's calming and well considered. Material quality is good, and the dash and control interface is among the best, even if the screen graphics are a little utilitarian.

Never mind a design critic, we need to think about a taxi passenger, for this is the fate of many second-hand Leafs. It's roomy-ish back there – but highly dependent on the front seats' position – and flat-floored for three fare-sharers.

Is it Sunderland-native?

Yes, it's still made by the River Wear, and the batteries are from an adjacent plant. It shares its permanent-magnet motor type with the Qashqai e-power hybrid. The Ariya is made in Japan but has an all-coil motor.

It's like the Leaf has skipped an entire generation. It shows all the progress that it needed to, and then some. But more than that, it drives incredibly maturely – this is a well-rounded and finessed car that's forgivably lacking in fun factor.

It's now up there with the best EVs in the class for all the measures you're likely to care about – range, efficiency and in-car tech. It also does okay as a family car with decent space and practicality, because these people built the Qashqai and pretty much invented the post-hatchback family crossover.

As for the person in the driver's seat, it overcomes the modern bugbears of endless touchscreen menu-diving to do the simplest tasks. Also the driver assist doesn't just work well, it's straightforward to customise, AKA quench. Your nan will adore it.