What a difference a decade makes. Just 10 years ago, the car-buying public applauded Nissan for providing a low-priced electric vehicle (EV) when Tesla was discovering that, by its pricing alone, it had become a luxury brand. The U.S. introduction of the Nissan Leaf in 2011 was a landmark in the industry because the Leaf was the first affordable EV from a mainstream manufacturer. Nissan then totally revamped the Leaf for the 2018 model year.
Over the past five years, Nissan has made incremental improvements to the Leaf, added trim levels, and increased available power and range. For the 2023 model year, it simplifies the Leaf offering to two trim levels, severely limits options, and tweaks the styling both inside and out.
While the base 2023 Nissan Leaf S is much like the 2018 model, in the past five years, Nissan added an SV trim with a more powerful motor and a higher-capacity battery pack. That significant change addressed two of the Leaf's shortfalls: lackluster acceleration and limited range on a charge.
Here are the key changes to the Nissan Leaf since our last review. This list includes the changes made for the 2023 model year versus the 2022:
When Nissan completely revamped the Leaf for the 2018 model year, the automaker offered buyers the choice of a single powertrain and three trim levels. Over the ensuing years, Nissan added trims and equipment to the mix. Then, for the 2023 model year, the automaker simplified the lineup. Nissan currently offers the Leaf hatchback in two trims—S and SV Plus—each featuring its own powertrain.
The Leaf S is one of a very limited number of EVs with a price tag under $30,000. Despite its low price, it is not the barebones car you might expect. It includes an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, and the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) array.
The Leaf SV Plus adds a wide variety of content in addition to the more powerful motor and higher-output battery pack. Its added niceties include LED headlights, an 8-way power driver's seat with 2-way lumbar, Nissan's ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system, adaptive cruise control, electric parking brake, surround-view monitor, and a driver monitoring system. Beyond all that, the additional $8,000 also buys SV Plus customers fog lights, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 215/50R17 Michelin Energy Saver tires, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Previously, JD Power reviewed the 2018 Nissan Leaf. This review focuses on the Leaf's updates since then and how they potentially impact its overall consumer appeal.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The Nissan Leaf competes in the Compact Car market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 68 percent of new Nissan Leaf buyers are male vs. 59 percent for the segment, and the median age of a new Leaf buyer is 52 years (vs. 46).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the Leaf in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the Leaf ranks 13th out of 13 Compact Car models.
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes a Leaf SV Plus equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $37,750, including the $1,095 destination charge.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
When Nissan remade the Leaf for the 2018 model year, it featured a 7-inch infotainment display—reasonably large for the era. Now it sports an 8-inch display, and its system includes standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SV Plus trim adds NissanConnect EV and services, which allows a remote connection to the vehicle to start a charge, monitor the state of a charge, and turn on the heat or air conditioning from outside the car.
The standard Door-to-Door Navigation system in the SV Plus is one of the Leaf's most intriguing systems. It syncs the EV's navigation system with a compatible smartphone to deliver driving and walking directions. It has a connections feature that allows any of the car's passengers to connect their device within the vehicle.
Nissan installed a few interior changes to accompany the tech additions. The automaker emblazoned a new brand identity badge on the steering wheel and specified a new startup video on the instrument panel screen. It made black cloth upholstery standard on both trims with gray accents on the Leaf S and gloss black on the SV Plus.
Nissan freshened the exterior of the 2023 Leaf with enhanced styling fore and aft. The revised front end includes a new grille shape and more aggressive front bumper molding (although calling it a "bumper" in the classic sense of the term is laughable). The Leaf's designers did a nice job integrating the new headlights into the front-end design. The "finisher" between headlights and fascia switches from chrome to black.
At the rear, the tire deflectors, lower diffuser, and rear spoiler are all reshaped for your viewing pleasure. Nissan transformed the rear wind deflectors from blue to black, echoing a similar change up front. Nissan also updated its brand identity, reflected in new badges scattered about the Leaf's exterior. Perhaps the most telling change is the addition of attractive 5-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels to the Leaf SV Plus trim. The wheels give the car a contemporary, sporty look.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
When the Nissan Leaf first came to market in 2011, it offered just 73(!) miles of range on a full charge of its 24.0-kWh battery. Car critics didn't assail that meager number then because, frankly, they didn't know just what to expect from an inexpensive battery-electric vehicle (BEV).
Completely revamped for the 2018 model year, Nissan equipped the Leaf with a 40.0-kWh battery array that endowed it with 151 miles of range. That was generally heralded as an outstanding achievement, more than doubling the range of the original car and placing it deep into three digits.
But that was then, and this is now, when a range number that doesn't begin with a 3 (as in 300 miles or more) is looked at askance by a large percentage of vehicle critics. Meanwhile, the general public doesn't know quite how to approach the entire range question. Is 200 miles enough? Are 300 miles not enough? Well, as they say, it's complicated. Nissan responded to that confusing maze by equipping the Leaf SV Plus with a larger-capacity 60-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It increased the hatchback's range to 212 miles on a charge.
At the same time, charging times are getting increasing scrutiny. Some recently introduced EVs claim to go from a 10-percent charge to 80 percent in about 15 minutes using an ultra-fast DC charger. Neither 2023 Leaf trim comes close to pulling off that trick. According to Nissan, using the standard quick-charge port, you can charge the 40-kWh lithium-ion battery in the base Leaf S to 80 percent in as little as 40 minutes. The Leaf SV Plus gets a standard higher-output 100-kW quick-charge port, requiring an hour or so to reach 80 percent capacity.
As the EV market has evolved in the United States, so has the Nissan Leaf. Over the dozen or so years since Nissan first introduced the Leaf, EVs have progressed beyond their perception as glorified golf carts to gain a reputation for swift acceleration. A 2011 Leaf could accelerate from a standing stop to 60 mph in 10.0 seconds. While that was slow (or, more charitably, leisurely) in 2011, it is unacceptably slow today. Even in base form, the 2023 Tesla Model 3 will scoot from zero-to-60 mph in 5.8 seconds, and the Performance trim will do the deed in just 3.1 seconds.
With this as background, for the 2019 model year, Nissan added a more powerful electric motor to the Leaf's array of available equipment. The 2023 Nissan Leaf SV Plus trim features a 160-kW electric motor that produces 214 hp and 250 pound-feet of torque. The more potent motor doesn't turn the Leaf SV Plus into a rocket ship (that's Elon Musk's thing, anyway). Still, it does give the likable hatchback a zero-to-60-mph time of fewer than 7 seconds. That removes it from the unacceptable column and slides it into the "not bad" category.
In day-to-day driving, including urban stop-and-go and California freeways, the SV Plus tester never felt underpowered or weak. It isn't a performance car, but as an urban runabout that doesn't burn fossil fuel, it is pleasant enough to keep a smile on its driver's face.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
As we witness the rapid influx of new EVs from startups and legacy manufacturers, it is easy to see the Nissan Leaf as a relic of a bygone era, like Wham!, CDs, and videotape recorders. But the fact is that for the right buyer, a 2023 Leaf can be a satisfying purchase.
Who is that "right buyer?" It's someone who can charge overnight at home and only drives a few miles each day. That person doesn't need 300 miles of range or 3.1-second zero-to-60 acceleration, so paying thousands of dollars more to get them is a waste.
While it is anything but a "hot hatch," the 2023 Leaf SV Plus is reasonably fun to drive, and its e-Pedal one-pedal drive mode is easy to get used to. Drivers find it an absolute boon in urban and neighborhood driving. Who wants to use a second (brake) pedal if you don't have to?
On the highway, the SV Plus offers the ease of Nissan's ProPilot Assist semi-automated driving system. Leveraging the Leaf's adaptive cruise control and steering-assist tech, the system can bring the Leaf to a complete stop, hold it in place, and send it back up to cruising speed when traffic starts moving again. All Leaf trims include forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning with brake assist, and blind-spot warning with brake assist. The SV Plus trim adds a driver monitor system and a surround-view monitor.
Overall, the 2023 Nissan Leaf is a pleasant zero-emission BEV at an affordable price. You can count cars like that on your thumbs. Yes, many more recently introduced EVs out-spec it, but they also out-price it by tens of thousands of dollars in many cases.
If the U.S. is going to see widespread adoption of BEVs, it needs more cars like the 2023 Nissan Leaf. It offers an enjoyable driving experience, room for five, plenty of luggage space, and a nice array of safety aids. While many newer EVs offer tantalizing talents, the Nissan Leaf still deserves its place on your consideration list.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for over three decades. He also managed the editorial efforts of Motor Trend magazine, JD Power, and Kelley Blue Book. Jack is currently the host of the SportsMap Radio Network program America on the Road, available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, and other outlets.
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