2013 Nissan Leaf review and pictures
Posted on Thursday, 10 January 2013 , 07:01:28 byAngela
Filed under NissanJapaneseElectric VehicleTechnologyPricing
Time has come for us to see the North American market version of the Japanese model, the 2013 Nissan Leaf. The officials have decided to present it in advance of its debut at the North American International Auto Show that will take place in Detroit in only a few days. The US variant of the Leaf features a lot of similar technical elements and equipment improvements as the Japanese Domestic Market model which we had the opportunity to see for the first time in 2012. There will also be a very important exception though.
Starting as in now, the new Japanese Nissan Leaf built for the US customers will be assembled at the Tennessee factory at Smyrna. The battery will be produced at an adjacent lithium-ion automotive battery plant and will not be important from Japan. As we mentioned above, the styling of the 2013 model remains unchanged, but thanks to the refined aerodynamics, a wider range of regenerative braking and enhanced energy management, the model is capable of improved energy efficiency. Onboard there will be a new 6.6 kW charger that is capable of charging the model in four hours from a 220V outlet, so in half the time the previous model does.
So that you know, the Japanese carmaker is also adding a new lower priced entry-level S grade that will also be available together with the SV and SL trims. This new S model will include Automatic Temperature Control, a trip computer, power windows and locks, a 3.6 kW onboard charger and to transfer the output to the road, 16-inch steel wheels. The 2013 Nissan Leaf SL, the engineers have offered 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels and leather-appointed seating for the interior. The three new option packages available for 2013 we have the Quick Charge Package, for the S grade alone, LED Headlights + Quick Charge Port Package with the SV grade only and last, but not least, we have the Premium Package also available for the SV and SL grades. There is no info on the prices.
