2023 Nissan Leaf facelift now in Malaysia – RM168,888

Having previously teased its arrival, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) has now announced that the facelifted second-generation Nissan Leaf will officially go on sale in Malaysia from March 10. The updated ZE1 arrives in a single variant form, largely identical in specification to the pre-facelift model that was launched here in 2019.

In terms of design elements, the refresh, which came about last year, doesn’t contain many revisions. Externally, the changes are led by a new black aero grille, a redesigned lower bumper and new black inserts in the headlights. Also going on are restyled wheels, a redesigned rear spoiler, a grey-accent diffuser and the brand’s new logo.

Inside, the cabin gets a new eight-inch NissanConnect touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay integration, a new digital smart rear-view mirror and of course, the new logo on its steering wheel.

Aside from that, the interior equipment seen previously continues on, with items on the list including automatic air-conditioning with a timer function, keyless entry and start as well as seats trimmed in leather/Alcantara. The previously offered interior colour schemes of Graphite Black and Stone Grey remain.

No mechanical changes, so the Leaf continues to be offered in the single battery capacity configuration previously available here. This is the base 40 kWh battery variant, wiith an EM57 electric motor rated at 150 PS (148 hp) and 320 Nm driving the front wheels. Performance figures include a 0-100 km.h time of 7.9 seconds and a 155 km/h top speed.

As before, the 40 kWh lithium-ion battery offers the Leaf up to 311 km of travel range (based on the NEDC test cycle). Recharging the 350 volt battery is via a Type 2 port (previously, Type 1), which is still located at the car’s nose – no change to the car’s onboard 6.6 kW AC charger, so it will again take approximately seven hours to fully charge the battery.

There’s also DC charging, in which the CHAdeMo format has been retained. As it was previously, the Leaf is capable of receiving up to 50 kW via the separate DC port, and charge time to full is an hour. There’s also a portable cable, which offers three-pin AC charging to be carried out, and this now comes with a Type 2 connector. At 3.6 kw, it will take 12 hours to juice up the battery via this route.

The safety kit list includes six airbags (front, side, curtain), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), ABS, EBD, brake assist and Hill Start Assist, while the Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite of driver assist systems now adds on Lane Intervention and Lane Departure Warning as well as high beam assist to its repertoire..

These join Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), Around View Monitor (I-AVM) with Moving Object Detection (I-MOD), Driver Alertness (I-DA), Ride Control and Trace Control, which was on the pre-facelift.

Elsewhere, the Leaf gets a revised colour palette with seven exterior finishes-to pick from, all presented in dual-tone with the roof painted in Super Black. Available shades for the car are Stealth Grey, Vivid Blue, Midnight Black, Pure White Pearl, Burgundy, Opera Mauve and Akatsuki Sunrise Copper.

Finally, pricing. The 2023 Nissan Leaf facelift is priced at RM168,888 on-the-road without insurance. This makes it cheaper than the pre-facelift, which was priced at RM188,888 when it was launched in 2019, before being revised to RM168,800 and then subsequently, RM175,800. The Leaf comes a three-year/100,000 km vehicle warranty and an eight-year/160,000 km battery warranty.

To sweeten the deal, Leaf buyers will receive a complimentary 12 months of JomCharge membership worth RM600 for recharging their car at public chargers (107 units AC Type 2 chargers and 30 units DC CHAdeMO quick chargers, with 600 credits nationwide) as well as complimentary Ice Cool tinting worth RM2,200.

ETCM is also continuing to offer complimentary 23 days a year usage of the X-Trail, Serena and Navara for other travelling needs, during the first three years of ownership.

As it was with the pre-facelift, a subscription plan is available for the Leaf – the neat news is that the monthly subscription is now RM1,800 for a three-year contract (with the pre-facelift, it was RM3,500, and last year, RM2,300 via a GoCar subscription). Subscribers get a 50% discount on Ice Cool tinting and a RM300 subsidy for 12 months JomCharge membership.

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