2013 LEAF Specs, Pricing, Options Released In Japan

[N952JL]

They really listened to the gen1 owners. There is now a dedicated button to enable/disable the Heat.

http://www.mag-x.com/images_new/201210/23/20121023_1_5.jpg

The heated seats looks changed. If I read the picture correctly, it looks like the front seats have both the bottom and seat back heated. The rears only the bottom. Currently my MY2012 only has the bottoms of all four seats heated.

 

[Stanton]

I can't believe no one has started a "speculation list" on what can/will be retrofitted into 2011/12 Leafs? How about:

1) Software update for SOC%
2) Hardware update for HEAT/A/C button cluster (if it's as easy to mod/replace the HVAC cluster as Phil showed, then surely a dealer could do it--for a price).

Let the speculation begin :!:

 

[TomT]

With the possible exception of the improved heater for those in cold climates, I don't think most of the other changes will move that many more Leafs. If they CAN drop the price considerably, that likely will have more affect than anything else. But it remains to be seen if people will actually buy the stripper model since Americans tend to want to buy the base model of any vehicle in very limited quantities - they exist more for marketing and fleet purposes...

I was wondering if the 2013 improvements would be enough to sell the huge USA LEAF factory output at list prices near those of the 2011-12 LEAFs, or if significant discounting would be required.

 

[surfingslovak]

I don't think so. If you look closely at the picture, you'll note that there is still a hump on the left side of the cargo area. I suspect that the ultra cap lives in there. They still need it for an emergency power source for the regular brakes.

+1

The Japanese Nissan guys are saying the Japanese spec LEAF is "very similar" as to what to expect in the US.

I would expect nothing else, although it's important to stress product differences across markets as well. Thanks again for sleuthing through the press conference, and pulling all this information together.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I have to disagree. I have not owned an ICE in the last 15 years that did not have a range to empty function exactly like the GOM.

Keep in mind that gas cars typically only ever had an empty<->full "fuel" gauge, and didn't try to give you a miles to empty number.

you forgot to add "works"

 

[TomT]

1) Software update for SOC%: It might depend on what, if anything, Nissan has done to fix the "instrumentation error..."

2) Hardware update for HEAT/A/C button cluster (if it's as easy to mod/replace the HVAC cluster as Phil showed, then surely a dealer could do it--for a price): Not likely since buying such items stand-alone is always hideously expensive. Plus there are likely interface changes between the old system and the new that would make it incompatible.

 

[mwalsh]

Very happy to see this as well, the old lever looked like something that was recycled from the Versa:

I notice they managed to highlight the wrong button in the car on this slide. :?

 

[TomT]

No, the ones I had on the BMWs and Acuras actually worked much better than the GOM on the Leaf and were pretty accurate...

I have to disagree. I have not owned an ICE in the last 15 years that did not have a range to empty function exactly like the GOM.

Keep in mind that gas cars typically only ever had an empty<->full "fuel" gauge, and didn't try to give you a miles to empty number.

you forgot to add "works"

 

[RegGuheert]

I don't think so. If you look closely at the picture, you'll note that there is still a hump on the left side of the cargo area. I suspect that the ultra cap lives in there. They still need it for an emergency power source for the regular brakes. Personally, I am not a big fan of foot brakes and would have preferred that they kept the electric parking/emergency brake or had at least gone to a pull-up handle...

Improved cargo area: Always a popular improvement. (I guess the ultracapacitor is now gone, saving manufacturing cost.)

O.K. Thanks! I hadn't looked at the pictures, yet. It would be nice to see the rest of that hump disappear!

So I guess the ultracapacitor is still needed for brake assist in normal driving. But my impression is that the emergency brake may now be mechanical. Am I wrong here, also? Is it really still electrical and only the actuator is moved?

 

[MikeS]

Very happy to see this as well, the old lever looked like something that was recycled from the Versa:

I notice they managed to highlight the wrong button in the car on this slide. :?

I'm not sure they did. They're showing the new electromagnetic release button on the dash and the unlock button on the fob. I would imagine the idea would be that you could walk up to the car and pop open the charge port without getting in the car. The button on the dash next to it looks like the locking locking/theft feature part of the new charge cover.

But I'm a newbie and could be wrong.

 

[surfingslovak]

I hadn't looked at the pictures, yet. It would be nice to see the rest of that hump disappear!

It's a step in the right direction: a hump stump is still present.

 

[garygid]

This new double-hump stump appears to really change the
the shape of the usable storage area in the cargo space.
A distinct minus in my mind, from this one photo.

It appears that laying the rear seat backs forward will
no longer result in a "flat" area, due to the tree trunk
that has grown from the stump.

Also, is the cargo area floor up a bit higher?
Hopefully not.

 

[Nubo]

Interesting changes. I do wish they'd offer more COLOR though, instead of red, blue and 5 shades of gray :roll: :lol:

woo-hoo.

 

[TomT]

They must really love white in Japan!

Interesting changes. I do wish they'd offer more COLOR though, instead of red, blue and 5 shades of gray :roll: :lol:

 

[Bigboler]

I think the humps in the cargo area are the casings around the rear suspension springs, not for the ultracapacitor.

 

[BrianSanDiego]

http://www.mag-x.com/images_new/201210/24/20121024_1_3.jpg

Is that a front facing camera I see?

 

[richard]

Long-life mode (where the battery is charged to 80% to extend the battery life), now available in any charging mode

Not sure I understand this, because I'm not sure what Nissan considers a "charging mode".

Currently, we have two timers available, and either can be applied to a particular weekday.

Would be better to have a half dozen available charge profile slots that are fully configurable. Then, the charge timer override button could simply toggle through those profiles.

And one profile could be designated the "away from home" profile. If the GPS sees you're plugging in away from home, it defaults to this profile.

All in all, though, great improvements!

 

[JustinC]

I wonder if we'll be able to buy replacement seats in leather... OEM might be nicer than aftermarket, though I would assume more expensive as well.

I wish they had that dark grey when I purchased. I didn't like any of the choices available in 2011, so I settled on black.

Like others have said, these are all good evolutive changes, but probably not enough to break through the barriers to massive sales. There are 3 things they need to do better: range, range, and range. 14% improvement is not enough.

 

[DaveEV]

This new double-hump stump appears to really change the the shape of the usable storage area in the cargo space. A distinct minus in my mind, from this one photo.

I think the humps in the cargo area are the casings around the rear suspension springs, not for the ultracapacitor.

Exactly. One can see that the humps are symmetrical on the '13. With the '11-12 there was a very beefy bar used for cross-bracing between the sides of the car. The remaining humps on the '13 is most likely used to reinforce the suspension mounts and retain rigidity.

It appears that laying the rear seat backs forward will no longer result in a "flat" area, due to the tree trunk that has grown from the stump.

It never has unless you had the cargo organizer. By reducing the size of the hump it reduces the size of the flat area without the cargo organizer, but would you rather they raise the floor and eliminate the cargo space instead? I'd rather the cargo space be as deep as possible - if one wants a flat floor with the seats down, get the cargo organizer.

 

[mwalsh]

I wish they had that dark grey when I purchased. I didn't like any of the choices available in 2011, so I settled on black.

+1. In fact, if you find my posts about the color palate from around the time that the actual 2011 colors were released, I put it out there that I was really hoping that it would be Platinum Graphite Metallic offered on the 370Z. But, alas, it was not to be.