As Nissan prepares to introduce a second battery-powered model — the Ariya crossover — the automaker is giving its original EV a more than $4,200 price cut.
The 2022 Nissan Leaf starts at $28,375 and reaches $38,375 for the top trim. Pricing on all models includes a $975 destination charge but does not include government EV tax credits.
The Leaf, which launched more than a decade ago, also receives more standard EV-focused features for model year 2022, including a CHAdeMO Quick Charge port and a portable 240-volt charging cable for every model.
Additionally, eight features previously available in the Technology Packages for the SV PLUS grade, including ProPILOT Assist, will now be standard.
The price reduction sets up Nissan to launch the Ariya in the first half of next year. The new Rogue-sized crossover is built on a new architecture and offers up to 300 miles of driving range.
The two EV models “need to sit together well, you don’t want overlap on the vehicles,” Judy Wheeler, Nissan division vice president of sales and regional operations in the U.S, told Automotive News late last month.
The Leaf is equipped with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery and 110-kW motor that delivers 147 hp and up to 149 miles of range.
The longer-range Leaf Plus features a beefier 62-kilowatt-hour battery, boosting the range to up to 226 miles. It also features a more powerful 160 kW motor that produces 214 horsepower.
The Leaf should see a redesign in 2024. The next version likely will be more crossover-like in body style and be built on the same CMF-EV platform as the Ariya.