Priced at RM188,888 on-the-road without insurance, the LEAF was launched today and is available in six colour choices of Pearl White with Deep Blue Pearl roof, Magnetic Red with Super Black roof, Brilliant Silver, Super Black, Gun Metal Grey and Deep Blue Pearl as well as two interior colours of Graphite Black or Stone Grey.
For a monthly instalment of RM3,200 (based on a five-year loan tenure with a 10% down payment and 2.6% interest rate), buyers can drive off with the LEAF from the showroom.
The car is covered for up to three years or 100,000km and this includes a three-year maintenance service of up to 60,000km as well as an eight-year lithium-ion battery warranty of up to 160,000km - whichever comes first.
To sway an owner's range anxiety concerns, local Nissan distributor Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) has also introduced a Nissan LEAF Owners' Privilege Programme that lasts for the first three years of owning the electric car.
The programme allows users up to 23 days per year of usage of one of three Nissan vehicles namely the X-Trail sport utility vehicle, Serena multipurpose vehicle and a Navara pickup truck.
The company has also introduced a three-year"'Pay & Use" subscription programme at RM3,500 per month. This means the subscriber will need to pay RM42,000 per annum for a total of RM126,000 after three years.
On the outside, the new LEAF has been fitted with front and rear fog lamps, power-adjustable foldable wing mirrors with integrated LED turn signals and LED headlights with LED boomerang-design daytime running lights,
The car has a wheelbase of 2,690mm and measures in at 4,480mm-long (+35mm), 1,790mm-wide (+20mm) and 1,540mm-tall (-10mm) against the outgoing first-generation LEAF.
This gives the LEAF a 435-litre boot (with Tonneau cover) that's expandable to 1,176 litres after folding down the 60:40-split rear backrests.
The e-powertrain uses a 40kWh lithium-ion battery pack (with bi-directional charging) that's located beneath the seats and sends power to the electric motor to generate 150PS and 320Nm of torque for up to 311km of emissions-free range.
Via usual A/C 6.6kW wall-plug charging, the battery will take seven hours to fully charge or one hour with a quick D/C 50kW CHAdeMo charger.
At present, CHAdeMO quick chargers are available free-of-charge at ABB Malaysia in Subang Jaya, Nichicon Sdn Bhd in Bandar Baru Bangi and PLUS Ayer Keroh R&R (Malacca - Southbound) or drop by one of ETCM's 17 locations nationwide.
Plans are under way to install chargers at more ETCM locations in the future.
According to ETCM, the LEAF is able to sprint from 0 to 100kph in 7.9 seconds. With a low drag coefficient of 0.28Cd, it can reach an electronically limited top speed of 155kph and travel up to 311km.
Power delivery is managed by a single-speed reduction gear and has five driving modes of e-Pedal, D Mode, B Mode, ECO Mode and B-ECO Mode.
In e-Pedal mode, the accelerator pedal also takes on braking duty and is particularly convenient during start-stop traffic situations.
While D Mode indicates normal driving mode, B Mode puts regenerative braking into its most aggressive setting and can help minimise usage of the disc brakes.
As for Eco Mode, this limits the electric motor's output while slightly increasing regenerative braking to help improve the LEAF's overall range.
At about 1.6-tonnes (kerb), the LEAF uses front independent struts and a rear torsion beam suspension system and rolls on 17-inch turbine-design wheels with 215/50 series tyres.
The seats are upholstered in a combination of leather and Alcantara while the cabin is further equipped with keyless-entry with push-start button, leather-wrapped multi-function speed-sensitive electric power steering wheel, power windows with driver one-touch function, automatic climate controls,
Entertainment-wise, a four-speaker sound system connected to a 5.0-inch display with radio, USB and AUX ports as well as Bluetooth connectivity is standard.
The LEAF is equipped with six airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution, vehicle dynamic control and hill-start assist.
Safety is bolstered by the Nissan Safety Shield technologies such as forward collision warning, forward emergency braking, around view monitor with moving object detection, driver alertness ride control and trace control.
"Available in a single high-spec premium grade, the LEAF is technologically advanced, contemporary in its design, enjoys strong driving range and is fun to drive," said ETCM sales and marketing director Christopher Tan.
From July 27 to July 28, the public can test-drive the LEAF at ETCM outlets at Glenmarie, Petaling Jaya, Jalan Raja Laut, Klang, Butterworth, Bayan Lepas, Johor Jaya and Kuantan.
