Significant price reductions with domestic production
$28,800.
That is the new entry level price of the 2013 Nissan LEAF. Take off the federal and state incentives in California, the LEAFs best selling state to date, and the new LEAF S can be had for under $20,000, including destination. Perhaps even more amazing is the 36 month $199 monthly lease deal offered on this new model. Nissan, it would seem, is taking an aggressive approach to the electric vehicle (EV) market. Finally.
Domestic production of the LEAF has made this EV much more affordable to a much broader market. Not only is the dollar/yen exchange rate removed from the picture (for the most part), but the elimination of the long cross ocean journey has taken a big chunk out of the cost of the 2013 model. How much more affordable are they?
The 2013 SV goes for $31,820, while the top line SL stickers at $34,840. This compares to 2012 pricing of $35,200 for the SV and $37,250 for the SL.
One feature that is still being coy is the Rear View Monitor. Currently standard on the SL, it shows as being an available option on the 2013 S as part of the Charge Package. The SV and the SL offer an available Around View Monitor, which uses four cameras around the vehicle, as part of the Premium Package. Our supposition is that the SV and SL will include the Rear View Monitor as standard equipment, but the initial press release is not clear on that point. We will need to wait for additional clarification from Nissan on that.
One thing that we can say is that with this new aggressive pricing and attractive initial lease deal, Nissan is making a strong effort to make up for lost ground. After stumbling out of the gate, could it be that Nissan is starting to gain their footing? Keep an eye out for February sales numbers, when this vehicle starts hitting showroom floors. First full month sales numbers will not be available until the end of March, but February numbers will give us a glimpse as to what the public thinks of Nissan’s updated cars and pricing.