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Nissan's highest-selling EV is also one of the most popular in the world, and for good reason.

The age of the internal combustion engine is coming to an end, and electric vehicles will soon be all there is on the roads and streets. In fact, customers today are quite spoilt for choice when it comes to picking electric vehicles, be it daily drivers or performance-based sports cars, or even all-electric SUVs. That being said, it remains important to remember the granddaddy of electric vehicles, the Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Leaf has been around since over a decade now, and in its 12-year history, the car has managed to build quite the reputation for itself.

In order to maintain the sales of their highest-selling EV, the Japanese car-making giant has been refreshing the Nissan Leaf with regular updates over the years, and the 2023 Leaf is no exception. While the second generation of the Leaf came about in 2017, six years later, the 2023 model is still very fresh and manages to keep up with the ever-rising competition. In that vein, Nissan has packed the 2023 Leaf with notable upgrades, and here is everything we love about it.

For the 2023 model year, Nissan has decreased the number of available trims on the Leaf from five to just two. Simplifying their Leaf lineup, the car is now available in only an 'S' and 'SV Plus' trim. While the SV trim is the higher model, the daily driving 'S' trim is the one that is positioned for those looking for nothing but a daily driving EV.

On the Leaf S, customers get a 147-horsepower electric motor which is paired with a 40 kWh battery pack. These stats are just decent, but considering the target customer base for the Leaf S is those looking for nothing but a decent daily driver, the S trim doesn't offer a lot of power or performance. For those things, there is the leaf SV Plus.

While the 2023 Nissan Leaf does happen to have a lot of plastic parts in the cabin, the materials fit well together, and Nissan manages to ensure that the inside of the Leaf does not look cheap. The seats of the Leaf are comfortable and well-supported, and even the backseat provides ample space for occupants.

The spacious cargo of the 2023 Nissan Leaf and the overall roominess of the car stand out as one of its best characteristics. Plus, if you need some extra space, you can always fold down the back row to increase the already generous cargo room from 23.6 cubic feet to 30 cubic feet.

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While the Nissan Leaf S is the model which appeases the daily drivers not looking for any thrills, the SV Plus variant ensures that the Leaf doesn't alienate those looking for a little fun to have with their EVs. There is no doubt that the SV Plus variant of the 2023 Nissan Leaf is the more attractive package, as it comes with a 214-horsepower electric motor compared to the lower 147 horses of the Leaf S.

Furthermore, the SV Plus model also packs a larger battery at 62 kWh as opposed to the Leaf S' 40 KwH battery pack. The SV Plus even appeases those who travel long distances often on electric power, offering 212 miles of range, while the lower trim, the Leaf S, only offers 149 miles of range. Sure, even the SV Plus could have had a better electric range, considering that its rivals like the Chevy Bolt EV offer up to 249 miles on a single charge.

The Nissan Leaf by no means feels like an outdated car, as Nissan has refreshed the 2023 model year with enough to keep the car relevant and contemporary. The Nissan Leaf's 8-inch infotainment display is easy to use and doesn't feel outdated or sluggish, and also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Furthermore, it also offers optional navigation.

Along with the infotainment display, the car also comes with a 7-inch heads-up digital display for the most crucial information a driver would need. Even the Nissan Connect software is quite intuitive, and a six-speaker audio system further enhances the interior experience of the 2023 Nissan Leaf.

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The second generation of the Nissan Leaf which began in 2017 was where the Japanese carmaker started focusing on the looks of the car as well, and the 2023 Leaf is clearly the best-looking model yet. While changes from the 2022 Leaf might not be glaringly obvious at first glance, there are certainly some additions the brand has made that make the Leaf look like a fresh and updated EV.

In fact, Nissan even claims the aerodynamics are improved thanks to new body elements. The Nissan logo on the hood now gets illumination, which is quite a nice touch. The front fascia has definitely received the most attention this year, with a new grille design and a tweaked front bumper to go with it. The front bumper, too, now gets black layered internals. However, the coolest addition by far is the new 5-spoke alloy wheels which measure 17 inches and look quite rad in black. It's definitely a unique design and quite the eye-catcher.

The 2022 Nissan Leaf was offered in five different trims, namely the Leaf S, S Plus, SV, SV Plus, and SL Plus. For the 2023 model year, however, Nissan has simplified all the trims to just two—the S and the SV Plus. This simplification has resulted in more features trickling down to the base variant that is the Leaf S.

One such feature is the Nissan e-pedal now standard across both variants, allowing the driver to start, accelerate, and decelerate the car with just a single pedal. In fact, it also means the top trim, the Nissan Leaf SV Plus, now gets a lot more cool optional features to go with it. A simplified lineup is something we would surely like to see other EV car-makers follow.

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While the Nissan Leaf is one of the most affordable EVs one can buy even at MSRP, the price is made even more alluring as the car qualified for Federal tax rebates as well. In fact, one could get up to $7,500 in credit for driving fully electric depending on where they live and their tax situation through Federal, state, and city tax incentives.

Furthermore, the monetary benefits only get better since owning an EV would mean you wouldn't ever have to pay for gas again, the prices for which have been steadily going up. For the Leaf S, the starting MSRP of $27,800 can be brought down to $21,400, which is simply an offer one would find near-impossible to refuse.

At a potential price point of $21,000, the Nissan Leaf comes with connected car tech which simply enhances the package and makes it all the more attractive. Owners of the 2023 Nissan Leaf can use the brand's monitoring app to remotely control the car's climate control among a slew of other services.

Your smartphone would turn into a remote for your Nissan Leaf, allowing you to sound the horn, flash your headlights, and lock your doors, all with a simple tap on your mobile screen. Nissan's Door to Door Navigation feature stays updated via internet connectivity, providing a seamless navigation experience for drivers, even after they have stepped out of the car.

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The Nissan Leaf does not skimp out on safety and driver assistance features at all, with the ProPILOT Assist feature being the headliner. Combining Nissan's cruise control and steering assist technologies, the ProPILOT feature allows drivers to have a hands-off experience in their EV, capable of bringing the Leaf to a full stop, holding it in place, and then bringing it back up to speed in sync with the traffic.

Other standard driver-assist technologies on the Nissan Leaf include the Safety Shield 360, Automatic Emergency Braking which detects pedestrians, Lane Departure Warning, and a radar-based Blind Spot Warning system. Rear Cross Traffic Alert, High Beam Assist, and Rear Automatic Braking, too, make the Nissan Leaf a safer car.

While many would complain, and rightly so, that a 2023 EV should support all kinds of fast charging technology that is available today, the Nissan Leaf manages to hold its own in the charging department, and in no way is slow. The Leaf S can be charged up to 80 percent of its total battery capacity in just 40 minutes, and while that isn't as fast as some of the EVs out there, it is worth noting that those EVs are more than twice or thrice the Leaf's MSRP.

The SV Plus variant, on the other hand, takes 60 minutes to be charged up to 80 percent, provided you are using a quick charge port. Both variants also come with a portable charging cable you can plug into a 120 or 240-volt outlet. In fact, the SV Plus even comes with a higher output Quick Charge port that supports 100 kWh charging. We sure would like to see the more recent fast charging technologies on the Nissan Leaf soon, seeing as the car still seems to have a couple more years in the pipeline before Nissan discontinues it. Until then, the Nissan Leaf remains one of the best EVs to buy for first-time drivers and for those new to the electric automobile world.

If it has wheels and an engine, Samarveer Singh is going to be obsessed with it. He is a budding Indian motorcycle racer, competing at the national level in his country in his very first year, chasing his dream around every corner of the racetrack. A touring enthusiast, Samarveer is forever stuck between the urge to constantly redline his bike, or save its clutch plates for longer.