Nissan has shown dealers in the USA a trio of next-generation electric vehicles (EVs), including a new Leaf.
Automotive News reports word from dealer sources the three vehicles are due in the second half of this decade.
They comprise a coupe crossover replacement for the Leaf hatchback; a performance sedan that could replace the Maxima; and another crossover on the Ariya’s CMF-EV platform.
The Leaf replacement, despite its SUV shape, will reportedly offer 25 per cent more range than the current car as well as “mini-Ariya” styling. The current Leaf, for reference, offers 270km of WLTP range in standard guise and 385km in the e+.
Nissan also used this dealer conference to showcase its next-generation, combustion-powered Kicks, Murano, and Armada (Patrol) SUVs.
It’s unclear what shape the additional CMF-EV crossover will take. The Ariya is sized similarly to the Toyota RAV4 and is around 100mm shorter than a Nissan X-Trail, so it could be a model to slot in the segment above.
That would give Nissan electric counterparts to the existing Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder.
Nissan did preview a boxier electric SUV earlier this year called the Arizon, previewing a Chinese-market SUV due in 2024.
We have a better idea what the Leaf and Maxima replacements will look like.
It previewed a small electric coupe crossover late in 2021 with the Chill-Out concept, riding on the CMF-EV platform and offering an e-4ORCE dual-motor all-wheel drive system like the larger Ariya.
A few months later, it released a shadowy teaser of two electric passenger cars set to enter production in the US in 2025.
One was clearly a Nissan, the other an Infiniti, and both resembled low-slung fastbacks.
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Current Leaf -
Current Maxima
These could replace the ageing rear-wheel drive Infiniti Q50 and the front-wheel drive Nissan Maxima, the latter of which is exiting production this year.
The new EV could help fill a vacuum in Nissan’s lineup, as the petrol-powered Nissan Altima sedan is also reportedly being axed at the end of its current lifecycle around mid-decade.
The Altima is similarly sized to the Maxima but differs in being positioned as a more mainstream model, and in also being offered in China. It also features four-cylinder power, unlike the V6-powered Maxima.
Nissan plans to launch 27 electrified vehicles globally by 2030, including 19 battery-electric models.
