Nissan has released U.S. pricing for the 2020 Leaf, which brings a comprehensive safety upgrade, new infotainment system and an updated EV sound. The base 2020 Nissan Leaf S with 147 HP and the smaller 40 kWh battery offering up to 240 km of range starts at US$ 31,600 (US$ 925 destination). This means it’s US$ 1,730 more expensive than the equivalent 2019 model.
In fairness, customers do get more standard features for their money, chief of which is the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite. The pack includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Automatic Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking.
Additional standard safety kit on all models includes Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Lane Intervention, Blind Spot Intervention, driver and front passenger knee supplemental air bags, and rear seat-mounted outboard side-impact supplemental air bags.
Furthermore, the Leaf S and SV (both equipped with the 40 kWh battery) gain a new 8-inch color touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which was previously available on the longer-range Leaf Plus.
The 2020 Nissan Leaf S Plus featuring the larger 62 kWh battery with up to 364-km)range and 214 horsepower has an MSRP of US$ 38,200 (always excluding US$ 925 destination). This makes it US$ 1,680 more expensive than the corresponding 2019 model which didn’t offer the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite as standard.
All 2020 Nissan Leaf models also come with a new ‘voice’ as the pedestrian safety sounds receive updates in tone and volume. In the U.S., the Leaf makes a constant tone for forward movement under 30 km/h known as “Canto,” derived from the Latin verb for “I sing.” When reversing, the 2020 Leaf emits a pulsing chime.
Other changes for the 2020 model year include standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the range, a new Sunset Drift ChromaFlair premium exterior color and the addition of Intelligent Around View Monitor and Intelligent Driver Alertness to the SV Technology Package.
