NEW LEAF READY TO RAISE BAR FOR ELECTRIC CARS

Nissan says unique insights can help Mk3 'set standard for future EVs'

- JAMES ATTWOOD

The Nissan Leaf has been reinvented as a sleek SUV with a range of up to 375 miles - and its chief engineer has vowed that it will “set the standard for future electric vehicles”.

The pioneering EV was launched in 2010 as a mid-sized hatchback but has been entirely reinvented for this third generation to take on the likes of the Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3 in the family crossover class.

The model now sits on the CMF-EV platform that is used by the larger Nissan Ariya and various Renault EVs, meaning it’s technically unrelated to the first two generations of Leaf.

However, chief engineer Hiroki Isobe told Autocar that learnings from those cars - gained from more than 700,000 global sales that led to more than 17 billion miles of driving - were invaluable.