The New Nissan Leaf Still Isn't Cheap, But It's Much Better Value

Prices have been announced for the all-new Nissan Leaf, and it’s good news for EV buyers. Since battery power is the way things are going, we feel pretty much duty-bound to tell you about it.

While the entry point has risen by £310, to £21,990 after government grants, the basic model now has a 40kWh battery instead of a measly 24kWh one. The new car, says the (frankly useless) NEDC test cycle, boasts a 50 per cent range increase on the old one. We’d like to see a WLTP figure for both.

That larger battery also gives more power. A heady 148bhp is on tap, although the instant nature of EV torque delivery will make it feel faster than it is.

At a current typical benchmark electricity price, recharging from dead flat at home would cost around £5.60 for the claimed 235-mile range. That’s equivalent to something like 200mpg at current fuel prices. An Economy 7 electricity tariff could cut an overnight charging bill right down, pushing your daytime usage charges up instead.

More and higher trim levels reflect the anticipated explosion in sales this time around, as people search for a socially fashionable way out of their diesel cars. At £21,990, basic Visia spec roughly matches a 1.5-litre TSI EVO Volkswagen Golf in SE Navigation trim.

Acenta, which is actually £1500 cheaper than the equivalent trim grade it replaces, comes next at £24,290. The there’s N-Connecta at £25,990, the 1500-unit limited edition called 2.Zero, and the range-topping Tekna at £27,490. All prices include the government’s £4500 discount.

More than 10,000 have been pre-ordered across Europe. UK deliveries for the Sunderland-built car will start in February. The Leaf escapes the London Congestion Charge and qualifies for free public parking in a small number of towns and cities. Do we want one? Not yet. It’s not that we don’t like the Leaf or appreciate its strengths; it’s just not for us.