2014 Nissan LEAF Now on Sale with $28,980 MSRP

After last year’s model leveraged a big-time price cut for a record-breaking sales year, the 2014 Nissan LEAF has reached dealerships with an MSRP of $28,980. That’s a $180 bump in cost over the 2013 model, but not without a gain in content, as Nissan’s RearView Monitor now is standard across the LEAF lineup. Further, while the only other change for 2014 is the debut of a new exterior color—Gun Metallic—the 2014 Nissan LEAF still provides high-value access to the benefits of all-electric transportation.

For one thing, the 2014 Nissan LEAF continues to qualify for the federal government’s $7,500 tax credit, which reduces the car’s net cost to $21,480, and that’s before any local or state incentives are factored into the equation. Then, drivers enjoy an all-electric, zero-emissions driving range of 84 miles with EPA ratings of 126 MPGe city/101 MPGe highway/114 MPGe combined. The entry-level 2014 Nissan LEAF also can be fully charged overnight, in about eight hours, while other available charging technologies include a fast-charger that enables the LEAF to achieve an 80 percent charge in approximately 30 minutes.

At the same time, however, Nissan notes that the LEAF’s high-tech powertrain, capable of delivering 107 horsepower and 187 lb.-ft. of torque, provides “a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience that is in keeping with what consumers have come to expect from traditional, gasoline-powered vehicles.”

Perhaps unexpected, but certainly another plus, is the fact that even the entry-level 2014 Nissan LEAF is equipped with semi-premium touches like:

• Nissan’s Intelligent Key with push-button ignition
• Bluetooth hands-free phone technology
• Heated front and rear seats
• A heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls
• Rear-seat climate ducts
• AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 audio with USB port and three-months of complimentary satellite-radio service

And finally, for those who prefer to buy American, remember that the 2014 Nissan LEAF, as well as its lithium-ion battery packs, are built in this country at the automaker’s manufacturing complex in Smyrna, Tenn.