SV 4dr Hatchback
2019 Nissan LEAF

The 2019 Nissan Leaf brings choice to the table. The bestselling electric car in the world is now offered in a choice of two battery packs with substantially different ranges (150 miles for the base Leaf and 226 for the new Leaf Plus). Buyers can choose which is a better fit for their driving demands and budget. After all, if you only go a handful of miles to work and back every day, why plunk down extra cash for range you don't need? At the same time, the availability of a longer-range model better aligns the Leaf with the Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Tesla Model 3. As for the car itself, the Leaf is a comfortable, well-equipped hatchback that can be more practical than many of the EVs with which it competes. What's new with the Leaf for 2019? For 2019, there are now two versions of the Nissan Leaf. While it was completely redesigned last year boasting a longer 150-mile electric range, this year sees a second Leaf Plus model good for 226 miles. This model gets a new, larger battery pack, a tweaked electric motor and some slight appearance updates to differentiate itself from the normal Leaf. An updated infotainment system with an 8-inch display also finds its way into the Leaf Plus for 2019, but the normal Leaf keeps the old 7-inch unit. The menus look a little different, a few new features are added and it supports multi-touch inputs, but it still feels dated in actual use. What's the Leaf's interior and in-car technology like? Nissan positions the Leaf and Leaf Plus as budget options in the EV world, which means the interior feels a bit cheap. Hard black plastics dominate most surfaces, and the seats are cloth except for the most expensive SL that gets leather. This interior was totally revamped for the 2018 redesign, making sure it feels modern with a big infotainment display and a digital screen with lots of information in the instrument cluster. The biggest difference between the Leaf and Leaf Plus on the interior is that big center screen. While the standard Leaf gets either a 5-inch (S trim level) or a 7-inch screen (all other trims), the Leaf Plus gets that updated 8-inch screen pictured above with more features. That includes a new graphics package that uses a customizable icon interface, multi-touch gestures like pinch-to-zoom and the capability of software updates over WiFi. Every Leaf except the most basic S trim includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the touchscreens themselves are pretty easy to use. Nissan doesn't go above and beyond with other interior features, but there are some niceties worth mentioning. An eight-way power driver's seat is optional, as are heated seats. A Bose seven-speaker stereo comes standard with the SL trim. Automatic climate control is also a standard feature. How big is the Leaf? The Nissan Leaf is a hatchback, predictably making it super practical for its size. Compared to its …
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