Used 2020 Nissan Leaf SL PLUS for sale 

2020 Nissan LEAF sees the addition of two new trim levels. Thus, this EV is now available in 5 trim levels. The base S and SV trims are powered by a 40 kWh battery pack with 110 kW motor while the Plus trims are powered by a 62 kWh battery pack with 110 kW motor.

The standard features list has been upgraded and is really impressive. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are now standard along with bigger infotainment screens. Driver and front passenger knee supplemental airbags, rear seat-mounted outboard side-impact supplemental airbags added to all models.

Which trim do we recommend?

We recommend you opt for the SV Plus trim. It gets the bigger battery pack with an increased driving range and a lot of other convenience features that will hugely add to the overall experience with the Leaf.

2020 Leaf is available with two battery pack options. The S and SV trims get a 40 kWh pack while the Plus trims come with a bigger 62 kWh pack. Nissan has made sure that it meets the driving needs of every customer. The standard choice of motor is a 110 kW electric motor. Power figures for the 2020 Leaf stand at 147 hp and 236 lb-ft of peak torque.

Transmissions duties are taken care of by a single-speed direct drive system that transfers the power to the front wheels. The LEAF is excellent for daily driving. Power is sufficient and maneuvering through the narrow streets is easy for this good ol' hatchback. With an enhanced range of 226 miles on the Plus trims, it should easily last a week on a single charge. On the highway too, this EV is comfortable. However, the range and charging may be an issue.

How fast is it?

The LEAF is designed for a comfortable driving experience. Therefore, if you are expecting a Tesla Esque acceleration, you will be disappointed. However, it isn’t a sloth either. It is fairly quick and unless you are taking part in drag-race, you’ll have no complaints with this EV. the 0-60 run takes 8.4 seconds, which is faster than the Ioniq EV.

The acceleration of the Plus trims is better than the lower trims. The 62 kWh Plus powertrain allows faster acceleration when driving at high speeds. Acceleration from 50 mph to 75 mph is nearly 13 percent quicker than the standard lower trims. This allows Plus trims to confidently pass slower-moving vehicles, exit corners faster and more seamlessly, and merge easily with fast-moving traffic. The top speed is also approximately 10 percent higher for comfortable cruising.

How well does it stop?

To decelerate gently, you need not use the brake pedal, as you would in a conventional car. Instead, just roll off the accelerator, and the car will convert your motion (kinetic energy) into battery charge (electrical energy). When the need to shed speed is high though, you can depress the pedal and disc brake setup on all four wheels gets engaged. With left foot hard on the pedal, this car comes to a dead stop at a distance of 128 feet, which is average.

Talking about the braking setup, the Leaf gets disc brakes on all four wheels. The front wheels get 11.1-inch rotors while the rear ones get 11.5 inchers.

How does it handle?

When it comes to performance and agility, the 2020 Nissan Leaf excels. Heavy components, including the battery, are placed in the center of the body, helping achieve smaller yaw moments of inertia compared with front-engine vehicles and thereby improving directional stability, enabling smoother cornering.

The electric power steering system has a linear feel that enhances confidence, especially on highways, with enhanced feedback from the road surface. The lack of pesky clutch pedals and gear shifters does make life easy in the cities. To be honest, with its simple controls, driving the Leaf feels more like playing a videogame.

The Leaf has been one of the most efficient EV since its inception. Yes, there are other cars now that have better efficiency than this EV, but the Nissan is still relevant. The claimed converted figures for the 2020 Leaf are 124 in the city and 99 on the highway.

This is in contrast to gasoline-powered vehicles whose efficiency goes up on the highways. This is because EVs are meant to be driven at a moderate speed. Different companies have their own sweet spot, which is generally close to 50 mph.

The base trims with the 40 kWh battery pack has a claimed range of 149 miles on a single charge while the Plus trims with the 62 kWh battery pack has a superior range of 226 miles. There is also regenerative braking that increases the range as you brake or take your pedal of the gas.

Looking at the dashboard, there's nothing that implies that you're sitting in an EV. You won't find a floating display, or dual-tone interiors, or futuristic angular lines, or a ton of touch controls. The dashboard is plain and minimal, but extremely well built. Even though it's built of plastic, everything is nicely held together and you'll never hear any squeaky noises.

In the absence of a shifter, there is a drive mode selector that allows you to switch between drive, reverse and parking modes. The uniquely designed selector looks every bit of futuristic as the car it is attached to.

The cabin of the 2020 Leaf is quite spacious and airy when compared to the likes of the Ioniq. There is no dearth of space and can easily fit in 6’ tall adults. The sound insulation of the cabin coupled with the quiet electric powertrain makes for a very quiet drive.

The front seats are “zero gravity” which is inspired by NASA's space technology and said to minimize fatigue and stress during long drives. The S and SV trims have a 6-way manual adjustable driver bucket seats while the Plus trims get an 8-way power-adjustable driver bucket seats along with heating capabilities for both the front seats.

The rear seats, like the front seats, are spacious. However, accommodating 3 adult passengers will be quite a task. Children, on the other hand, will have a great time in the rear seats. The seats are 60/40 split-folding and also comes with 2 complete sets of latch anchors.

What’s there to keep you entertained?

All trims of the 2020 Leaf gets an updated 8” infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard across the trim ladder. Nissan's latest Nissan Connect software interface, while not particularly pleasing to the eye, is intuitive and quick to respond to inputs.

If you are an audiophile, skip the lower trims as the standard 6 speaker sound system is very ordinary. The top of the line SL Plus trim comes with a Bose Premium Audio with seven speakers that result in the extremely rich and vibrant audio output.

How much cargo can it store?

The default cargo space of the 2020 Nissan Leaf is 23.6 cubic feet. It is not the most that is offered in the segment, but enough to handle all your daily needs with ease, be it a trip to the closest supermarket or going to pick up your loved one from the airport.

The rear seats are 60/40 split-folding but do not completely fall back to the floor level and hence the increase in the cargo space is not very significant. The maxed-out cargo space of the leaf is 30 cubic feet.

What are the creature comforts on offer?

2020 Nissan leaf offers quite a few convenience features. Some of them are

• Dual-zone automatic temperature control
• Rear passenger air conditioning vents
• Rear door alert
• Nissan intelligent key with push-button ignition
• Remote engine start system
• Tilt and telescoping steering column
• Variable intermittent speed-sensitive windshield wipers
• Sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors and extensions
• Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror

One of the most eye-catching exterior elements of the second-generation Nissan LEAF is the car’s sleek, streamlined silhouette, which maximizes aerodynamic efficiency. The car’s bold fascia features Nissan’s signature V-Motion grille with blue 3D mesh. The car’s sleek profile gives it a sporty look, while the rear features a distinctive tail light design. Thanks to the aerodynamic body styling, including a rear bumper with a clear-cut curve and aero-design wheels, the Nissan LEAF has a 0.28 coefficient of drag.

The exterior shell of the Plus trims are tweaked a little to make it distinctive from the lower trims. Subtle clues to its Plus designation include a revised front fascia with blue highlights and an e+ logo plate on the underside of the charge port lid. There are also rear trim level badges designating the grade levels. Talking about the charge point, it’s intelligently designed so that customers can effortlessly connect it to the charging point without bending down.

What are the highlights of the exterior shell?

The refreshed exterior shell of the Leaf has quite a few distinctive features. Some of them are

• LED headlamps
• LED DRLs
• Aerodynamic underbody panels and rear diffuser
• UV reducing solar glass
• Acoustic laminated glass
• Chrome v-motion grille
• Dark chrome v-motion grille

2020 Nissan Leaf has not been crash-tested by IIHS or NHTSA. However, we can assure you that this car is a very safe one. The standard list of safety tech with the 2020 Leaf is very impressive. Some of them are

• Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with Dual-Stage Supplemental Front Air Bags with Seat Belt and Occupant-Classification Sensors
• Driver and Front-Passenger Seat-Mounted Side-Impact Supplemental Air Bags
• Roof-Mounted Curtain Supplemental Air Bags with Rollover Sensor for Side-Impact Head Protection For Front And Rear-Seat Outboard Occupants
• Front Seat Belts with Pretensioners And Load Limiters
• 3-Point ALR/ELR Passenger Seat Belt System (ELR For Driver)
• Zone Body Construction with Front and Rear Crumple Zones
• LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)
• Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) With Traction Control System (TCS)

Nissan Leaf vs Hyundai Ioniq

The Nissan Leaf was the 1^st car in the world that showed people that EVs can compete head-on with the gas power ones. The Leaf delivers 149 miles of driving range in a full charge and offers a lot of features. The Nissan, however, can’t match the practicality that the Ioniq offers. The Leaf is best suited for people, who are most willing to drive in the city limits, while the Ioniq will be suited for long drives due to its range.

Nissan Leaf vs BMW i3

The Bimmer is a much more premium offering than the Nissan, and it feels like one too, both on the inside and outside. You could easily forget that this car is a “budget” offering, at least by BMW standards. You also get better range in the i3, and if you decide to spend a little extra, a range extender as well, which simply put, is just a gasoline engine that powers the battery when the charge goes down. Overall, the BMW is a much better offering, provided you are prepared to spend the extra cash.

Nissan has done a lot of things right with the Leaf because of which it has been so successful over the years. One complaint that the folks had with the Leaf was its range. Nissan addressed the issue and released the Leaf Plus trims that have a range of 226 miles on a full charge. Therefore, when all is said and done, Nissan is not ready to surrender its supremacy on the EV market and the 2020 Nissan Leaf is here to see to that.