Prices have been announced for the new Nissan Leaf, as speculation grows that the Government will launch a scrappage scheme to switch drivers out of diesel and into hybrid and electric vehicles.
While many car manufacturers have run scrappage programmes in the second half of 2017 to combat falling sales, and some have extended them into 2018, the Government is coming under increasing pressure to launch a market-wide scheme as an air quality measure. In early December Bristol, which has one of the poorest air quality rates in the UK, joined 15 other cities in calling for the launch of a scrappage initiative.
The Government already offers plug-in car buyers a grant of up to £4,500, that will bring the entry-level price of the new Leaf down to £21,990. While this is £310 more than the cheapest version of its predecessor, that was fitted with a 24kWh battery pack.
More power, greater range
The new Leaf employs at 40kWh powertrain, which boosts the car’s power by 38% to 150PS compared to the outgoing model. But likely more important for dealers trying to convince buyers into electric will be a significant increase in the car’s range, official NEDC figures jumping 50% to 235 miles.
At £24,290 the second-level Acenta version is £1500 less than the outgoing variant, which had a 30kWh drivetrain. The new car also includes more technology, most notably ProPilot autonomous driving technology, and significant styling revisions.
Compared to the two trims of the previous Leaf, the new version offers four main grades, the most expensive being the Tekna variant that will cost from £27,490 to £33,655 depending on equipment.
There will also be a special edition launch model, dubbed 2.Zero, costing from £26,490 and limited to 1500 examples. Based on the N-Connecta grade it will include a range of extra equipment, the package costing £535 less than if specified separately on N-Connecta models.
There is also a special offer on the 2.Zero, dealers adding a £1,000 contribution to the £5,138 deposit provided by buyers, producing monthly payments of £339 on a three-year/10,000 annual mileage PCP with 4.49% APR.
