Nissan Leaf Electric Hatchback caught on test in India ahead of official launch later this year

India will soon get a range of electric cars. The new BS-VI regulations will be implemented in the Indian market next year, which will change a lot of things in the market. Also, electric cars are expected to gain more popularity in the coming times. Soon, Hyundai will launch the all-new Kona electric SUV in the Indian market while other manufacturers like Nissan are also working to launch all-new electric cars in the Indian market.

The all-new Nissan Leaf will be launched later in the Indian market and the car was caught with “On test” placards placed on the windshield by Rushlane. The Nissan Leaf will be launched in the Indian market as a Completely Built Unit (CBU), which will allow Nissan to import the car as per the demand in the market. It was spotted parked near the Mumbai-Pune expressway and it is quite possible that Nissan is testing the vehicle in the Indian conditions before its launch in the market.

The Nissan Leaf is already on sale in various markets around the world and it is one of the most popular Electric Vehicles in the global markets too. It will not be a mass-segment product as EVs are still not popular in India and only a few buy the vehicle. Also, there is not much of an incentive for the electric vehicles in India as of now.

Since it will be a CBU product, the tax regime in India will ensure a price tag of around Rs 40 lakh in the market. To counter this, Nissan may bring a stripped off version of the vehicle that will offer less number of features when compared to the international spec models. The vehicle caught on test in India seems to be a basic model that gets steel rims and misses out on features like mirror-mounted LED turn indicators and LED DRL. This may bring down the overall cost of the vehicle by a couple of lakhs.

The pictures of the interior of the vehicle revealed that it gets automatic climate control system and full-digital instrument cluster. In the international markets, the Leaf also gets features like Advanced Driver Assistance System and ProPilor lane assistance system. Nissan also offers an e-Pedal feature that allows the car to be controlled through a single pedal. It also gets features like traffic signal recognition, intelligent lane intervention, emergency braking and more. All these high-tech features may not come to India.

The Nissan Leaf is powered by a 40 kWh battery pack that powers a 140 PS motor. The vehicle can do a maximum of around 240 km on a single-charge as per NEDC cycle. The charging takes 8-16 hours and there’s a quick charging option that can refill the battery to up to 80 per cent in 40 minutes.