The Nissan Leaf might be ready to turn over a new leaf as the next-generation model will reportedly be transformed into a crossover.
Citing Nissan’s chairperson of the AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania) region, Guillaume Cartier, Autocar is reporting the crossover will be built at the Sunderland plant as part of a £1 ($1.3 / €1.2) billion investment into the facility.
The model is expected to arrive around 2025 and be based on the CMF-EV platform that currently underpins the Nissan Ariya and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. The architecture will also be used on an assortment of other electric vehicles from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.
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Little else is known about the next-generation Leaf at this point, but it’s transformation into a crossover isn’t surprising as consumers have embraced them. Furthermore, Nissan isn’t the only automaker adapting to changing market demands as the Chevrolet Bolt recently spawned a crossover variant known as the Bolt EUV.
In other news, Cartier said the company is weighing their options for the next-generation Micra. The upcoming model is slated to be based on a Renault or Mitsubishi vehicle as the company wants it to be a profitable member of their lineup. Cartier went on to say the car will “absolutely” be electric.
The publication also says Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida revealed the company isn’t investing in hydrogen technology as they’re primarily focused on EVs. This stands in contrast to BMW, Hyundai and Toyota which are investing in both. Unfortunately, the focus on electrification means an uncertain future for sports cars in Europe and the automaker has already confirmed they won’t offer the latest Z on the continent.
