Interior design and technology Nissan Leaf | Automotive Industry Analysis | just-auto – just-auto.com

Taking a leaf out of Nissans book: The latest model strikes a sensible balance between physical buttons and touch-sensitive interfaces.

Turning over a new Leaf

At first glance, anyone familiar with Nissan design will recognise the signature boomerang-shaped lamps, 'V-motion' front surround, while the blue elements such as the front grille and rear bumper's moulding highlight the all-electric, zero-emission character of the car.

Measuring 4.49 metres long, 1.79 metres wide and 1.54 metres high with a wheelbase of 2.70 metres, the better-looking Leaf provides plenty of head and shoulder room for front seat occupants.

Four trim grades are available, starting with the Visia, rising to the Acenta, N-Connecta and top-drawer Tekna. Creature comforts on our Tekna include part leather/suede trim, heated front and rear seats, auto-dimming interior rearview mirror, Bose audio system with seven speakers dotted around the cabin and subwoofer in the boot.

One of the most popular features in the original Leaf is the ability to set the car's climate control to activate at a particular time, warming the car up or cooling it down before beginning a journey. This allows drivers to save battery charge by warming or cooling the car from the mains supply while it is charging.

The redesigned interior features a 'gliding wing' design, accentuated with blue stitching (giving a subtle nod to its electric credentials) in the seats, dashboard and steering wheel. The display and dials on the centre console are intuitive and well set out. And, joy of joys, not everything is controlled via the customisable touchscreen as there are some buttons and switches to operate the HVAC located lower down on the centre stack. Plus all the switches feel nicely damped. The circular drive selector further adds to the car's effortless driving feel.

Material-wise, the areas of the cabin that are touched the most are swathed in soft materials, while other parts are hard plastic set beneath a dark headliner. A leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, high-gloss black inserts hither and thither and satin chrome interior door handles add to the classy feel. Elsewhere in the cabin, just about every last nook and cranny has been used for storing all your bits and bobs although the rear door bins are tiny compared to certain rivals.

Despite the slightly lofty driver seating position, thanks in part to the fact that the seat is perched directly above the battery, forward visibility is hindered due to the relatively thick A-pillars. Rearward visibility is not much better although the standard fitment reversing camera assists in this respect. Higher level trims come with a useful 360-degree camera providing a bird's eye view on the display screen of the car's environment.

Further back, the top-rung Tekna boot (taking account of the amplifier and subwoofer) offers 420 litres of luggage space, increasing to 1,161 litres with the 60/40 rear seats flipped forward.

Advanced driver assistance systems

In the ADAS department, standard features from entry grade include electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, and hill start assist, traffic sign recognition and blind spot warning. Also standard from Visia grade, as is intelligent emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition. Advanced safety technology systems such as lane departure warning, intelligent lane intervention and rear cross traffic alert are also part of this model's standard equipment. It also incorporates ProPilot driver assistance for a safer, more comfortable drive and ProPilot Park, for fully autonomous parking.

ProPilotis designed for use within a single lane on a highway, and is optimised for use in heavy traffic or in high-speed cruising scenarios

The driver can activate ProPilot by setting a desired cruising speed and distance. Supported by Radar and Camera, ProPilot will adjust the speed to traffic ahead and keep the car in the centre of the lane. In traffic jams, ProPilot will automatically manage distance to the car in front and apply the brakes to bring the vehicle to a full stop if necessary. After stopping, the vehicle will remain in place even if the driver's foot is off the brake. Once traffic restarts, the car will resume driving again automatically. If the traffic stops for over 3 seconds, ProPilot will restart at a simple touch of the accelerator or by pressing on the steering wheel.

ProPilot Parkis hands off, feet off automatic parking function. It works with parallel and bay parking (forwards or backwards entry), and will park the new Nissan LEAF when the driver selects one of the spots proposed by the system.

Also worthy of mention is the Leaf's clever e-Pedal that can enable acceleration, deceleration and full stop by deftly increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the accelerator. By releasing the accelerator, the car will decelerate and come to a complete stop, even hill holding, without the need to press the brake pedal. With a deceleration rate of up to 0.2G, the e-Pedal eliminates the need for drivers to constantly move their foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal to slow down or stop. This helps reduce fatigue and stress in daily city driving, allowing the driver to use the brake pedal up to 90% less than in conventional cars.

Infotainment

On the infotainment front, the Leaf features an eight-inch touchscreen positioned centre stage. It displays all the usual key features, including information from the audio and navigation systems. It incorporates Nissan Connect EV Navigation System that includes Bluetooth connectivity and DAB Radio. In addition to standard navigation features it also includes real-time information on the nearest charge points. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available.

Under the bonnet

The e-powertrain delivers 110kW of power (150 HP) and 320Nm of torque. In a straight line, the Leaf will shift from a standstill to 62 mph in just under 7 seconds. Charging is pretty fast too. The battery can be recharged to around 80 per cent in just under an hour using a 100kW charger while a full charge takes about nine hours using a 7kW domestic wall box. On the combined cycle, it provides a driving range of up to 168 miles on the combined cycle, or up to 258 miles in city conditions, on a single charge.

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Interior design and technology Nissan Leaf | Automotive Industry Analysis | just-auto - just-auto.com