I bet, no one could deny, that they also have dreamt of having a fully-electric vehicle, as we don't see the fuel price stop spiking these days. Little that we know, Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan Motor Corporation is one of the first to develop electric-powered vehicles, with their first electric vehicle Tama in 1947, and they have been continuously developing in the succeeding years. In 2010, the company has launched the first-generation Nissan Leaf with more advanced and innovative capabilities. And now, the second-generation Nissan Leaf has finally reached the Philippines shores.

The 2022 Nissan Leaf has caught the attention of the whole automotive industry around the globe for its best approach to sustainability and innovation, in which it earned the Best-selling Mass Market Electric Vehicle title. How does this first commercially-available electric vehicle in the Philippines set itself from the rest?

Price and Colors

The 2022 Nissan Leaf 40kWh is priced at Php2,798,000 in the Philippine market and is available in four two-tone colors – Vivid Blue, Magnetic Red, Gun Metallic, and for an additional Php15,000 - Nissan's premium Pearl White. All color variant options come with a Pearl Black Roof.

Powertrain System

Nissan Leaf's 40kWh EM57 AC Synchronous all-electric motor produces a maximum output of 150 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque mated to a single-speed reduction gear transmission in a front-wheel-drive configuration. Nissan claims that the 2022 Leaf's Lithium-ion battery can reach the range of 311 kilometers from a full charge. It can run from zero to a hundred kilometers per hour in the span of 7.9 seconds while reaching a top speed of 140 kilometers per hour. It comes with independent MacPherson struts with coil springs at the front and torsion beam axle at the rear suspension setup, while ventilated front discs and solid rear discs for its brakes.

Dimensions and Capacity

The dimensions of the 2022 Nissan Leaf lie at 4,490 millimeters long, 1,788 millimeters wide, and 1,540 millimeters tall with 2,700 millimeters long wheelbase and 155 millimeters ground clearance. Its curb weight is 1,567 kilograms and has a five-passenger seating capacity.

Exterior

The 2022 Nissan Leaf's exterior profile is indeed head-turning. Unlike how we usually imagine electric-powered vehicles, the Leaf comes with a bold and stylish appearance. Its two-tone body color and floating roof give a unique emphasis to the car's overall design language. Upfront, instead of the traditional massive radiator vent grille, it comes with a V-motion front grille and EV blue accents topped with a massively embossed Nissan logo badge, emphasized by its aggressively-stylish hood that tapers down towards the badge. Its brilliant projector halogen headlamps have an auto-on/off feature paired with its automatic hazard lights.

Down on its side profile, aside from its two-tone style dominance, it also comes with chrome accents on the door handles and a Zero Emission script down below. Its body's character lines that lie parallelly from the back door to the taillamps, give its side profile a distinction and emphasis. Lifting this electronic vehicle are its 16-inch alloy wheels with black design accents in 205/55 series tires.

At the back, it features its stylish LED taillamps with turn signal lights that are stretched on both sides by a massive black portion that holds the Nissan logo, Leaf script, and the Zero Emission Script. As the Leaf is a fully-electric vehicle, there are no exhaust pipes, which benefits the environment.

Interior

The interior of the Nissan leaf looks like your typical fuel-powered engine car. The cabin is the same, except for some absent and newly added features and controls. The dashboard comes with standard soft leather and hard plastic material combination with contrast stitching and chrome accents, including the steering wheel. Aside from the soft leather with chrome accents and contrast stitching, the flat-bottom steering wheel also comes with functionality control buttons for the convenience of the driver.

Behind the steering wheel is an all-digital affair, which is expected in a fully-electric vehicle like the Nissan Leaf. It displays the gauges and the car's information that will be helpful for the driver. It pairs itself with the Leaf's 8-inch customizable advanced infotainment touchscreen at the middle of the console, where you could connect your devices through Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. The audio is transmitted to its six-speaker sound system. The Leaf also comes with charging ports, cup/bottle holders, an advanced drive selector, and air-con vents throughout the entire cabin.

Aside from the fact that Nissan still has the crown in providing the best quality automotive air conditioning system, the Japanese automaker is also proud that the Leaf comes with zero-gravity fabric seats, which will give additional comfort to its passengers. The cabin is spacious for five full-grown adults with its generous legroom space.

Safety and Security

Just like other Nissan vehicle models, the 2022 Leaf comes with the Intelligent Mobility System Suite that includes a blind-spot monitoring system, intelligent cruise control, 360-degree around-view monitor, blind-spot warning, rear-cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, intelligent driver alertness, e-Pedal, intelligent lane intervention, high beam assist, and intelligent trace control.

It also comes with the standard set of airbags, height-adjustable seat belts, anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution, door ajar warning, front impact beams, side-impact beams, vehicle stability control system, anti-theft device, anti-theft alarm, tire pressure monitoring system, brake assist, parking assist, parking sensors, engine check warning, power door locks, central locking system, engine immobilizer, crash sensors.