NissanNissanJapan, 1932 > present159 models
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will begin building the LeafNissan LEAFJapan, 2009 > present29 versions
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in Europe at its Sunderland factory in the UK this summer. At the same time, the Leaf is getting a major refresh that will give the car updated styling, more range, more comfort and a driving experience tuned toward European buyers.

The Leaf has not been the sales success that Nissan initially predicted. In the two years since introducing the car, it has sold 50,000 worldwide. While Nissan has given the Leaf incremental improvements over the last two years, the 2013 car is the first major refresh that it has received.

It is also changing its strategy for selling the Leaf. By the end of the year, it will build the car in Europe, Japan and the United States. While visually identical, each car has been slightly tuned to meet the needs of each market.

The refreshed Leaf offers significant upgrades over the original car

© photo courtesy of: Nissan

The refreshed Leaf in Europe offers a better range, faster charging, more driving modes, lower coefficient of drag, updated interior and European-tuned suspension.

The exterior of the Leaf gets a sharper look at the front with headlights extending from the front to nearly the windshield. The vents around the windshield are painted in contrasting silver. The rear has been resculpted, and the taillights run vertically from the roof to nearly the bottom of the bumper. The changes reduce the coefficient of drag from 0.29 to 0.28.

Mechanically, the refreshed car has a completely integrated powertrain that builds the charger, inverter and electric motor into a single unit. The change increases rear cargo space by 40 liters and increases rear legroom. The blower HVAC system has been replaced by a heat pump to reduce electrical consumption. LED light added to charging port to illuminate it at night. The changes increase the Leaf’s certified range from 175km to 199km.

Nissan also retuned the damper settings to make the ride less floaty and retuned the steering for more directness and better feel.

Among the new features is the Carwings touchscreen telematics system that lets the owner control the car’s heating and cooling system while it is charging. The system allows the car to heat or cool itself to the owner’s desire while it is still plugged in and pulling power from the grid. The car is at just the right temperature when the driver gets into the car, and it does not take power from the batteries. Carwings also acts as a navigation system and has smartphone integration with Bluetooth.

Nissan’s Around View Monitor camera system will be an option.

As of March 2013, Nissan has 1,400 Leaf dealers in Europe and 600 fast chargers. Nissan says that there are 20,000 other public chargers across Europe.