Nissan Leaf e+ Tekna 2019 UK first drive

When the original Nissan Leaf came out in 2010, owners were claiming a real-world range of little more than 70 miles. By the time the second-generation car came out last year, our sister publication What Car? was quoting a real-world range of about 130 miles. And now we’re reviewing a Leaf promising up to 239 miles on the seemingly realistic official WLTP test.

But this new, 62kWh battery-equipped Leaf isn’t just about getting you pretty much exactly from London to Blackpool without rejuicing. Don’t be fooled by the rather dull trim name: this is as close to the Leaf Nismo as the UK is going to get, for now at least, because that bigger-capacity battery allows the motor's power to be boosted from the 148bhp to a healthy 214bhp. Torque is up slightly, too.

Also new is the Leaf e+'s ability to use the latest public rapid chargers; with its standard charging rate of 70kW, it can reach 80% in 40 minutes, just like the 50kW-limited regular Leaf. Other, less significant changes include a new front end design.

The e+ version of the Leaf is better in some ways and worse in others. There’s a trade-off for a battery and power upgrade this significant, and it’s more pronounced than with a similar upgrade to a petrol or diesel car.

Let’s start with the good bits: that power boost is noticeable from the off. Nissan quotes a 0-62mph time of 7.3sec - the same as the BMW i3, although still a way off the unusually brisk Hyundai Kona Electric. Nevertheless, this is a Leaf that no longer feels a touch out of its depth at motorway speeds, remaining punchy above 70mph.

Having the longer range means attempts to exploit the Leaf’s newfound straight-line urgency don’t leave you with feelings of guilt and anxiety once you glance at the predicted miles left. We weren’t able to run the Leaf e+ right down to empty, but indications are that it should be easily capable of breaching the 200-mile barrier, even if you have a hyperactive right foot.

As with the Kona Electric, however, this level of power and torque on tap from the get-go causes some issues in the chassis department. Nissan has revised the suspension for the e+, but that doesn’t prevent the traction control from going berserk when you try to move away smartly with steering lock applied. The steering wheel squirms this way and that, too, while undulating Tarmac makes the car lose grip all too easily when its safety systems are turned off.