Nissan Leaf interior

Infotainment

Every Nissan Leaf comes with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav as standard. It’s the same basic system you’ll find in the Nissan Qashqai SUV but can also show you nearby charging spots and plan routes that include a stopover for re-charging.

The sat-nav itself is easy to use and it’s easy to stick in a postcode. Sadly, processing times can be frustrating because there’s a noticeable delay between pressing the screen and anything actually happening – something you don’t have to put up with in a Volkswagen e-Golf.

Thankfully, you can circumvent some of the Nissan Leaf’s infotainment quirks by using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto instead. Both are fitted as standard and let you use the navigation and music-streaming apps on your smartphone through the car’s built-in screen instead. In fact, you can control some of the Leaf’s functions such as heating and cooling as well as see various bits of info about the car via an app on your smartphone too. 

Nissan’s four-speaker stereo fitted to basic models is pretty average so if you want more oomph, go for a Tekna or e+ Tekna which gets a Bose stereo with seven speakers. It sounds almost as good as the optional Dynaudio system in the VW e-Golf.