The Japanese manufacturer is soon going to give more options in terms of body styling for its all electric “Leaf”. The car currently has 5-door hatchback designed which it has retained since it was first launched in 2010. Leaf is currently returning good numbers for the company along with its Juke SUV and other crossover vehicles.
The car is the bestselling electric vehicle in the world in terms of number of units sold and looks set to expand its lead over rivals. Leaf, which actually is an abbreviation for “Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car”, currently uses an 80 kW (110 bhp) electric motor which gives a torque output of 280 Nm. The motor is assisted by a 24 kWh battery pack which can deliver up to 110 bhp. This combination gives it a top speed of 150 kph and makes it a highway capable vehicle. Leaf reaches 100 kph from standstill in 9.9 seconds, which is a really good figure for a battery driven vehicle. The thing that gives it an outright advantage over its rival is its range of 170 km.
The recently upgraded Leaf has received a new colour- Morning Sky Blue along with 17 inch alloy wheels and a better braking system. Nobody knows what the latest models of the car will offer and whether it will receive extra variants or not. But, a few more body styles will only help the cause of the car as people will have more choices apart from the standard one. We might witness a 3-door version along with upgraded batteries.
The company believes that a car usually has a 7 year cycle and Leaf will complete the cycle in 2017. But, since it is an EV, its life maybe extended before being replaced by a completely new model. The new model will surely have an extended battery life to give it more range.
