LEAF 2.0?

Did Nissan just show the second generation LEAF in Geneva?

Introduced as the Nissan SWAY at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show as a possible European crossover, this new small hatchback could easily fit into another role. My thought is that Nissan is previewing LEAF 2.0.

Nissan has stated three design concepts that will make their vehicles recognizable as a Nissan anywhere in the world. The first is the V-Motion grill as seen above. While the overall width of the vehicle might need to be toned down a bit from this very aggressive look for fuel efficiency reasons, the basic statement looks good.

Nissan introduced the floating-roof design on the 2015 Murano, and it will be seen on the 2016 Maxima due this summer. The blacked-out c-pillar theme carries over nicely to this small hatchback design.

A third design element making Nissan’s stand out from the crowd are the boomerang style head- and/or tail-lights. Here we see them incorporated into the rear design of this mini-hatch. Introduced as a European crossover, it incorporates dual exhaust which we won’t see on the LEAF.

UPDATE: Finally, there is this: “With this new concept car for Geneva, we are experimenting to see how Nissan might be able to bring fresh ideas to the compact hatchback segment,” said Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President, Design and Chief Creative Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

So… place a charge port behind the faux grille, remove the dual exhaust, and this could be very influential on the next LEAF design.