Japanese legacy automaker Nissan will launch the next-gen electric Leaf next year with a new “SUV styling” to stimulate customer demand, Automotive News Europe reports.
Next-gen Nissan Leaf to arrive in late 2024
Nissan will execute a major makeover to the current generation Leaf to stay competitive in the rapidly growing electric vehicle market.
An unnamed insider apparently told the publication that Nissan plans to launch the redesigned Leaf at the end of 2024.
In hindsight, Nissan was a popular model from the Japanese brand launched in 2010. It was one of the company’s mass-market electric vehicle offerings. However, new model launches from rivals significantly reduced the appeal of the Leaf to customers.
What’s currently known about the new Leaf?
According to Electrek, Nissan will transform the Leaf into a crossover coupe SUV to attract more customers and stimulate demand.
It will get a more sophisticated appearance and lower layout to avoid competing with its siblings, Juke and Qashqai EVs.
The source further claimed that the new Leaf will have a design slightly similar to the Ariya e-SUV. In fact, it will use the same CMF-EV platform as the Ariya. However, it will not feature similar layouts to the first two generations.
Nissan will source the batteries for the next-generation Leaf from its upcoming cell factory. These Gen5 batteries enable a 30% energy density boost compared to the current 62 kWh pack. It will improve the driving range to 239 miles (385 km).
Electrification efforts
Nissan aims to become an all-electric brand in the United Kingdom. It also declared last September plans to halt internal combustion engine-powered model production in Europe.
All that considered, Nissan has significantly expanded its electrification efforts. It recently announced a maximum investment of £3bn ($3.8B) for the local production of three electric cars at the Sunderland plant.
The mix includes the electric counterpart of the popular Juke and the Qashqai models and the next-gen Leaf EV.
As mentioned, the new Nissan Leaf will hit the market in late 2024. The new electric Juke will follow in 2025, while the Qashqai EV will arrive by 2027.
