Nissan Embarks on a Demon-esque Teaser Campaign for New Leaf

It won’t come with a minimum of 808 horsepower, nor will there be a crate to turn it into a dragster. However, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles raised the bar on how to intrigue fans (and annoy journalists) with its weekly pre-reveal teasers for the Dodge Challenger Demon, and who is Nissan to ignore FCA’s success?

The Japanese automaker has embarked on a summertime teaser campaign leading up to the unveiling of the next-generation Leaf “later this year.” Back in March, Nissan tweeted that the new Leaf would appear at a global launch event in September before going on sale before the end of the year.

So, what lies in store for the long-in-the-tooth electric’s replacement?

Going by the first official photo: headlights. Likely, two of ’em, positioned on opposite sides of the car’s front. Joking aside, the LED lamps seen in the image are not dissimilar to those seen on the electric Renault Zoe, topped with an LED accent bar much like its Europe-only stablemate.

The current Leaf, introduced in 2010, soldiers on with ever-declining U.S. sales and a battery only recently upgraded to dole out 107 miles of electric range. That’s well below its competition, and less than half the range offered by a new crop of low-priced EVs, including the Chevrolet Bolt and upcoming Tesla Model 3. While it was one of the first automakers to offer an all-electric vehicle, Nissan knows it must do better to stay in the game.

The automaker has remained very cagey on its plans for the new Leaf, so we’re left waiting for official proclamations. Indeed, “Amazing things are worth waiting for” is the tagline for this new campaign.

Already, the Nissan-Renault Alliance has demonstrated the ability to build the diminutive Zoe city car with a range of 250 miles (186 in real-world conditions), and work is apparently afoot to bring both Zoe and Leaf onto a shared platform at some time in the future. The Leaf’s fall release date means its architecture will remain distant from its smaller cousin.

In January, Kazuo Yajima, head of electric vehicles for Nissan and Renault, said the Leaf’s range could grow after its introduction. Distance per charge could increase to 340 miles by 2020, he said, with the addition of larger, optional battery packs. Technological content should increase, as well.

The 2018 Leaf is expected to come with Level 3 semi-autonomous driving capabilities, not unlike Tesla’s Autopilot.

[Image: Nissan]