Consumers have spoken and Nissan has listened. The 2012 Nissan Leaf will now pack more standard features — and a noticeably higher price. Starting July 25 the second model year Leaf will be available for order in the Southeastern United States and Illinois. Consumers with existing reservations have first dibs, though. That is if those consumers are still on board after they see the new price.
The SV trim level is jumping from $33,720 to $35,200 with the SL trim level increasing from $34,650 to $37,250. The higher price is likely caused by the new standard features on both models. A cold weather package will now come standard and feature a battery warmer, heated steering wheel, and front and rear heated seats. All SL trim level vehicles will also come equipped with a DC fast charge port, which allows the vehicle to be charged to 80% in 30 minutes from a 480V station
Even with the features, the new price puts the Leaf in the Chevy Volt range. GM recently dropped the price of the Volt a bit and it now features a $40,280 MSRP. Both the Leaf and Volt still qualify for up to a $7,500 tax credit. When that’s considered, the Leaf is still available for less than $30k, although just barely.
SOURCE: TechCrunch