Nissan Leaf electric car 2021 review: e+ EV test

New tech is always going to cost a premium, just look at how the latest flagship smartphones have crept well over $1000!

So, if you’re expecting to pay a little more for an electric car than a petrol or diesel-powered model, you’d be right on the money.

You can get into a base Nissan Leaf for $49,990 before on-road costs, but the new 2021 e+ raises the bar to $60,490. Ouch.

There is quite a long list of equipment to justify the price though, but both Leaf and Leaf e+ actually mirror each other in spec, meaning the $10,500 difference in price is due to the latter’s improved driving range, performance and charging – but more on those in a bit.

There is quite a long list of equipment to justify the price.

As standard, the Leaf and Leaf e+ comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, rear privacy glass, heated front and rear outboard seats, heated steering wheel, and a leather and suede interior trim.

Drivers are also treated to a 7.0-inch multifunction display, which can be customised to show driving range, energy consumption and more.

Handling multimedia duties is an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, seven-speaker Bose sound system, digital radio and satellite navigation.

There are some noticeable omissions on the spec list, however, which are especially jarring given the Leaf e+’s forward-facing powertrain.

There’s no wireless smartphone charger and there’s no head-up display, plus the park-brake is foot-operated, which is a big disappointment in a new car in 2021.

17-inch alloy wheels come standard.

Measuring 4490mm long, 1788mm wide, 1540mm tall and with a 2700mm wheelbase, the Nissan Leaf e+ sizes up nicely against small hatchbacks like the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Hyundai i30.

Up front, there’s no denying the Leaf’s practicality, and the cabin feels light and airy thanks to big and generous windows, even if the A-pillars are a little on the thick side.

However, the seats are positioned a little too high – at least for our tastes – and without a telescoping function on the steering wheel, it can take a bit of time before you find the most comfortable driving position.

There’s no denying the Leaf’s practicality up front.

Storage options in the front seats include door pockets that will take a big water bottle, two cupholders between the seats, a deep storage cubby under the armrest and a tiny little recess that will fit your wallet and smaller phones.

In the rear seats, space does get a bit tighter, at least for my six-foot-tall frame, but there is still sufficient head and leg-room in the two outboard seats.

Space does get a bit tighter in the rear.

The middle position is pretty compromised, however, because of the lithium-ion battery underneath and all the components needed to get juice up to the front wheels, which eats away significantly at the footwell.

In the back, storage options extend to a bottle holder in the doors and map pockets behind the two front seats.

Opening the boot reveals a cavity that will accommodate 405 litres officially, but you might want to be careful not to load the Leaf to the brim.

The boot will accommodate 405 litres officially.

There’s a Bose sound system device positioned right behind the back seats, which emits a beeping sound when reversing to warn pedestrians you are there, so you’ll have to be careful not to damage it with anything big and heavy.

It’s a bit disappointing to see there are no bag hooks or luggage tie-down points in there, but at least there are storage nets where you can put your charging cables.

Fold the rear-seats down and available volume swells to 1176L, but the seats do not fold flat, making it trickier to transport longer items.

Fold the rear-seats down for 1176L.

Under the bonnet of the 2021 Nissan Leaf e+, you will find the electric motor and inverter, which drives the front wheels via a single-speed automatic transmission.

The Leaf e+’s electric motor produces 160kW of power and 340Nm of torque, which is a noticeable step up over the standard Leaf’s 110kW/320Nm output.

As a result, the Leaf e+ is quicker in the 0-100km/h sprint, needing just 6.9 seconds, compared to the Leaf’s 7.9s time.

The Leaf e+’s electric motor produces 160kW of power and 340Nm of torque.

Officially, the Nissan Leaf e+ consumes 18kWh per 100km … which we’re betting means absolutely nothing to you.

Translating this into real-world terms, the Leaf e+ will travel about 385km with a full charge.

This is much higher than the 270km afforded in the standard Leaf because the e+ has a much larger 62kWh battery, which is part of the reason it costs so much more.

The Nissan Leaf e+ officially consumes 18kWh per 100km.

However, with things like regenerative braking and careful use of the air-conditioning, your mileage can greatly vary.

In our week with the car, I actually managed an average consumption rating of 17.3kWh/100km, bettering the official figure.

Regardless, using a standard household socket will get the Leaf e+ from 30 per cent battery to full in about 11.5 hours, and using a DC fast-charger will cut the 20-80 per cent charge to just 45 minutes.

Using a DC fast-charger will cut the 20-80 per cent charge to just 45 minutes.

Do note that the Leaf e+ features the CHAdeMO DC fast-charging ports, which are a little harder to find than the CCS varieties.

The Leaf e+, as well as the Leaf, also now support bi-directional charging, so you can use your car to power your home to charge things like your phone and Nintendo.

Like all new Nissan models sold in Australia in 2021, the Leaf e+ comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with five years of roadside assist.

The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km assurance period, which ensures three quarters of capacity after that time.

Scheduled service intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever occurs first, matching the industry standard.

With Nissan’s capped-price-servicing schedule, the Leaf e+ will cost around $1742 to maintain over five years, averaging out to be about $290 per year.

Without the need to change things like oil and sparkplugs, the all-electric Leaf e+ is much cheaper to keep on the road than petrol-powered competitors.