The front-wheel-drive 2024 Nissan LEAF comes in a pair of trim levels: S and SV Plus. The power for the base-level S comes from a 110-kW electric motor that puts out 147 horsepower; the SV Plus gets a 160-kW unit that makes 214 horsepower. The LEAF S can travel up to 149 miles on a full charge of the 40-kWh battery, while the SV Plus has a range of 212 miles thanks to its 62-kWh battery. The EPA-estimated MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) for the LEAF S is 123 in the city and 99 on the highway, while the SV Plus’s MPGe ratings are 121 city/98 highway.
With a Level 2 home charger (240-volt), the LEAF S takes about 7.5 hours to fully charge up, whereas the SV Plus needs approximately 11 hours due to its larger battery. Level 3/DC fast charging at 50kW can restore the LEAF S to 80% in about 40 minutes; the SV Plus will take about an hour to reach the same charge status. The SV Plus also is capable of 100kW DC fast charging, which drops the time to 45 minutes to get to 80%.
The list of standard features in the LEAF S includes proximity keyless entry, automatic climate control, push-button start, automatic headlights, power side mirrors, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, a 7-inch information display, USB ports, and 16-inch steel wheels with covers. Its seating situation consists of fabric upholstery, manually adjustable front seats (six-way for the driver and four-way for the front passenger), and a 60/40-split folding rear bench.
The SV Plus is definitely more upscale with its standard heated front seats, a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, an eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar controls, upgraded heating, heated power side mirrors, LED headlights, fog lights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Nissan Safety Shield 360 is installed on every 2024 LEAF. This grouping of the latest safety systems has automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, rear automatic braking, and automatic high beams. Both trims also come with forward collision warning, blind-spot intervention, lane intervention, and rear door alert.
Cruise control and a rearview monitor are standard on the LEAF S, while the SV Plus gets Nissan ProPILOT Assist (semi-autonomous driving technology), a surround-view monitor, and a driver alertness monitor. Both trims’ supplemental safety equipment includes a full set of airbags, anti-lock brakes, vehicle stability control, and traction control.
Both trims have an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone integration (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, voice recognition, and a text messaging assistant. A four-speaker audio system is standard in the S, but the SV Plus gets navigation, another pair of speakers, and access to NissanConnect remote services.
