Leaf Gen 2 - New Nissan LEAF World Premier on Sep 5, 5:30 PM PDT

[LeftieBiker]

Make sure the mirrors still fold! I've seen the outer dimensions, but don't remember them. I think the largest increase is in width, though - an inch or two.

[cwerdna]

One step backwards that Turbo3 pointed out to me was that the '18 Leaf (at least the vehicle on display at the Cupertino EVent) has NO sun visor extensions. It seems pull out extenders that got added on model year 2013 are gone. I confirmed it visually.

I hadn't noticed it until he pointed it out to me at the EVent.

We observed the red car at the Cupertino EVent (likely the same one that was on display a few days earlier at the EVent at Nissan's Sunnyvale research office) looked like a fully loaded one w/power seats, leather interior and what looked like ProPilot Assist given the blue button on the steering wheel and camera near the top of the windshield.

Turbo3 himself has an '11 Leaf and I think he installed the visors meant for the '13+.

[LeftieBiker]

One step backwards that Turbo3 pointed out to me was that the '18 Leaf (at least the vehicle on display at the Cupertino EVent) has NO sun visor extensions.

Oh, for Christ's sake! Do the mounts look the same? I'm definitely riding out my lease.

[cwerdna]

One step backwards that Turbo3 pointed out to me was that the '18 Leaf (at least the vehicle on display at the Cupertino EVent) has NO sun visor extensions.

Oh, for Christ's sake! Do the mounts look the same? I'm definitely riding out my lease.

Unfortunately, I don't recall since I didn't look carefully as I'd never swapped out my sun visors. There was no need.

This would be a nice photo request for anyone who next gets to sit inside a US '18 Leaf. Unclear if the missing visor extensions are only the case for pre-production cars vs. real salable units.

[LeftieBiker]

They really seem to want this car to be an agonizing decision for Gen 1 leaf drivers, as opposed to a no-brainer. Guess what salvaged Leaf part is about to become unobtainable...?

[GRA]

Via ABG, first test drive and review of the American spec car:

2018 Nissan Leaf Quick Spin | Another fork stab into the light socket
The Leaf is improved in all ways, but is this the EV that will energize car buyers?

https://www.autoblog.com/2017/09/20/201 ... e-light-s/

Utility is about the least interesting reason for buying a new car. There's no exhilaration in signing up for 60 months of financing on an appliance that will never inspire passion. There's no joy in looking forward to taking something for granted. So, here's the second-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf — the all-electric future of ordinary. Don't get excited. No, really. Don't. Get. Excited.

While much has evolved from the first- to second-generation Leaf, it's what hasn't changed that's most important. The Leaf, in form and function, is still an economy car — a five-door hatchback in a world where the almost meaningless differences between a five-door hatchback and a five-door crossover somehow matters. People buy crossovers, and ignore the hatchbacks on dealer lots to get to them.

Nissan could have jacked the new Leaf up on its suspension, bolted on some off-roady-looking all-season tires, added some cladding and called this thing an electric crossover. Or even do what Chevy did with the Bolt EV and call it a crossover even though it clearly is not. At least some buyers would have been tempted by a "Leafinder" or "Rogue E" who otherwise wouldn't consider a plain old Leaf. So count that as a strategic marketing opportunity missed. . . .

What's frustrating here is that while the agony of this rollout persists, there's still reason to be suspicious that the electric car market is, in fact, a viable one. Worldwide, electric cars represented a puny 0.2-percent of the total car market despite such incentives as the $7,500 the United States government kicks back to those bold, brave or batty enough to buy one. It's hard to believe that this new Leaf will inspire a new wave of enthusiasm for electric cars.

There's plenty of talk about mandating electric cars in France, China and California, and there's probably been a half-dozen hyped-up announcements since you started reading this sentence. But sooner or later, buyers have to find electric cars so attractive that they'll dump their internally combusted dreams solely based on the zappers' merits. Only Tesla has drilled into the market consciousness to pull that trick off so far. And that's with vehicles that, as good as they drive, are as much virtuous status symbols for the wealthy as real cars.

Nope, we're not there yet. American buyers are bound to show up at Nissan dealers, look at the $30,000+ plus price tag on a loaded Leaf SL (even after the $7,500 bribe) and then walk over and buy a $31,710 top-of-the-line Rogue that has more room, drives great, will go about 400 miles between fill-ups and refuels in a few minutes at any of America's 168,000 or so gas stations.

Whatever government mandates lie in the future, the new vehicle market is still millions of people making individual purchasing decisions. Decisions that usually include taking on a load of debt for a machine they're actually excited to own for five, six or seven years. Most electric cars simply aren't able to attract those buyers. At least not yet. And it seems doubtful that the new Leaf will change that.

[Nubo]

...Nissan could have jacked the new Leaf up on its suspension, bolted on some off-roady-looking all-season tires, added some cladding and called this thing an electric crossover. ...

Oh gawd...

[GRA]

...Nissan could have jacked the new Leaf up on its suspension, bolted on some off-roady-looking all-season tires, added some cladding and called this thing an electric crossover. ...

Oh gawd...

It would hardly be an unheard of modification - just think of the differences between the Subaru Impreza hatch and the Crosstrek, or back further the Legacy/Legacy Outback Wagons.

Jacked up suspension? Check.

Off-roady looking all-season tires? Check.

Plastic body side cladding? Check.

I don't know the relative sales split of the Impreza and Crosstrek, but IIRR the Outback outsold the regular Legacy wagon handily.

[EVDRIVER]

Subaru, Boring, CHECK! Nissan, still clueless conservative Japanese company making one car for two markets- CHECK!

[edatoakrun]

,,,

...American buyers are bound to show up at Nissan dealers, look at the $30,000+ plus price tag on a loaded Leaf SL (even after the $7,500 bribe) and then walk over and buy a $31,710 top-of-the-line Rogue...

By 2019, Nissan should have its LEAF -based SUV on the showroom floor.

One of the Slow Ugly Vehicles Americans want, with the fed and state/local BEV incentives

Nissan LEAF-Based Electric SUV To Debut Next Month, Electric Sedan To Follow

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.p ... t=LEAF+suv

Nissan to reveal electric SUV to join Leaf
The world's best-selling electric car, the Leaf, will gain a bigger brother, to be unveiled at Tokyo motor show in October

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/moto ... -join-leaf

Hopefully, not too Ugly, when unveiled next month...