The yet-to-be-revealed all-electric hatchback was clicked at Nissan’s Oppama factory in Japan where its productions will be handled. The leaked images show its exterior design in full for the first time.
The images appear authentic as they look very similar to those officially previewed by Nissan and also spotted by the spy photographers of our sister publication, Autocar UK. They show a more angular nose, sharper headlights and a sleeker body shape.
Nissan's most recent official picture was released last week and backed claims that the upcoming second-generation Leaf will be significantly more aerodynamic, by showing how it effectively cuts through the air.
The all-electric hatchback, due for reveal on September 6, has been engineered to maximise range, with a slipperier exterior helping the model reach up to 547km on each charge. That's more than twice the range of the outgoing car and would cement the Leaf at the top of its class in this respect, beating the latest Renault Zoe by about 145km.
The gains will also come thanks to new battery pack options for the Leaf that will enable Nissan to sell it with a variety of specs, as Tesla does with its models. The largest battery could double the 30kWh lithium-ion pack found in the highest-spec version of the current Leaf.
Nissan is aiming to make the Leaf the segment's most autonomous-capable model; it will get the Pro Pilot Park technology, its newest system. Using sonars and cameras, the car will be able to park itself in parallel, angled, front or straight back-in parking spots, handling throttle, braking and steering input.
This park assist system will come as part of the car's Pro Pilot tech, which also includes a single-lane semi-autonomous feature. It will be Nissan's most advanced autonomous model on sale.
The new car's design appears to be inspired by the Micra, as shown by sightings of development cars, with sharper lines on the body and a more aggressively stooped nose.
When the future Leaf arrives on roads next year, it will lead Nissan's charge to grow EVs to represent 20 percent of its sales by 2020.
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