Category: Motoring

With more conventional styling and a longer range, the redesigned 2018 Nissan Leaf all-electric hatchback is more mainstream and practical than ever. But Nissan missed an opportunity to fix some of its glaring shortcomings.

The latest Leaf joins Chevrolet Bolt EV and Hyundai Ioniq Electric in keeping the focus on value and affordability. Plus, the new Leaf has a lower starting price and longer range than its predecessor. But shoppers who want a driving range of more than 200 miles still need to look elsewhere for now, though a more powerful — and more expensive — longer-range version of the Leaf is slated to arrive as a 2019 model.

Nissan continues its pursuit toward a clean-energy future with the reveal of the all-new Nissan Leaf  Nissan

When it made its debut as a 2011 model, the Nissan Leaf brought the possibility of all-electric driving to the masses.

The redesigned 2018 Leaf starts at $30,875, including an $885 destination charge. That’s $690 less than the outgoing Leaf. And perhaps best of all, its EPA-estimated driving range has increased from 107 to 151 miles on a full charge.

One of the biggest changes for the year is how the Leaf looks. The original Leaf hatchback had a distinctive, bulbous shape that was different from most everything else on the road, communicating to your fellow drivers that this was not some ordinary gas-powered car. Now, the Leaf could be mistaken for one of Nissan’s conventional hatchbacks.

The Leaf’s driving experience should seem familiar — and, apart from a few unique characteristics, rather ordinary. In its Normal drive mode, the Leaf accelerates smoothly and builds speed quickly enough. Other editors thought the Bolt EV felt quicker, but the Leaf doesn’t have trouble keeping pace with traffic. The Leaf’s braking response is smooth and predictable.

Nissan is launching a revamped version of its Leaf electric vehicle, going head-to-head with Tesla’s Model 3 and beating off criticism that a limited driving range will dull its mass-market appeal.

With the higher-capacity battery comes longer charging times. On 220-volt electrical service, the battery takes as little as 7.5 hours for a full charge.

On a 110-volt household outlet, it will take about 35 hours.

Given the Leaf’s significant styling and drivetrain updates for 2018, it’s surprising that some of the prior generation’s biggest shortcomings remain.

Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheels are commonplace in new cars, but the 2018 Leaf, like its predecessor, still has only tilt adjustment.

Meanwhile, the position of the rear bench seat relative to the floor results in an uncomfortable knees-up seating position for adults, as was the case in the old Leaf.

Likewise, the huge ledge between the cargo floor and the folded back seat is even more disappointing now than it was in the first-generation Leaf. It significantly reduces the versatility of the Leaf’s hatchback shape by preventing large cargo from lying flat on an extended floor.

Even though Nissan missed a few opportunities, the 2018 Leaf’s longer driving range makes it a viable choice for more eco-minded shoppers, where its predecessor wasn’t.

Kia Motors Corporation has announced its April global sales figures for passenger cars, recreational vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles, recording a total of 240,028 units sold, increasing 9.3 per cent from last year.

Last month, sales in Korea totalled 50,004 units, representing an increase of 14.9 per cent compared with the same month last year led by strong sales of K3 compact sedan (known as ‘Forte’ in some markets) and K900.

The all-new K3 with a more sophisticated design and enhanced features has been a leading model for the Kia brand since debuting at the end of February in the Korean market.

The company’s overseas sales also grew by 7.9 per cent compared to the previous year, posting 190,024 units with strong sales of Rio (known as ‘Pride’ in Korea).

Kia’s best-selling model in the global markets in April was the Sportage compact SUV with 39,475 units sold. The K3 compact sedan was the second best seller with 33,881 units sold, followed by the Rio with 31,566 units sold.

THE 13th Lagos Motor Fair and seventh Autoparts Expo Africa will start today at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Organising Committee Chairman Mr Ifeanyi Agwu said many indigenous firms had confirmed their participation with over 80 foreign firms indicating their intention to come with  various world-class products and services from their stables.

According to him, the beauty of the auto shows is that they take organisations beyond their supposed dreams and into the expected ground of realities.

Agwu, who is also BKG Exhibitions Managing Director: “Though the sector is passing through turbulent times in the country, the persistence of major players in participating in this event is attributable to the importance they attach to it as a key event for demonstrating and showcasing capabilities and potential. We cannot but attribute their consistency to the strategic importance attached to it by all the stakeholders in the industry who have been working hard and making sacrifices. It has been a collective effort and all hands have continually been on deck, starting from the private sector to the various agencies of government both at the state and federal levels,” he said.

Agwu urged every stakeholder to attend at the event.

“It’s going to be a bumper harvest for the numerous visitors to the event; their socio-economic status notwithstanding. Every visitor would gain one thing or the other at the fair as we have ensured that almost the interests of all segments of the society are adequately catered for at the fair,” he added.

Habits once formed are in most cases very difficult to drop. In this article, I want to talk about the driving habits that must be dropped by  drivers, including vehicle owners.

1. Restlessness: some drivers are so friendly with impatience that they cannot stay on the queue or in traffic when there is a traffic jam. They move from one lane to another to beat the traffic. Drivers must be patient and show sanity on the roads.
2. Drunk driving: Alcoholism and drug addiction are enemies of driving. They work on the brain, thereby creating effects, such as slow reaction time, wrong judgment, blurred vision and aggressiveness among others.
3. Distraction: Drivers must avoid distractions such as making or receiving calls, texting, eating, drinking, smoking, making up, and shaving.
4. Tail-gating: Inadequate following distance is very dangerous. Under normal driving environment, you should apply the two-second rule, but on wet roads, you should increase it to the four-second rule. Following too closely is the main cause of multiple accidents.
5. Dangerous overtaking: Overtaking wrongly is dangerous and has become a major cause of road crashes in Nigeria. Before you overtake, you must ask whether it is necessary, safe and whether it can be done without violating the speed limit rule.
6. Poor lane management: Many drivers (private and commercial) don’t know how to keep their vehicles in lane when driving. Your vehicle should always be positioned at the middle of the lane without trespassing to the next lane except when overtaking.
7. Over speeding: Some drivers are already addicted to over speeding even on bad roads. This is also another major cause of accidents.

Other bad habits include wrong lane formation, driving off-lane (driving on road shoulder), driving without seat belt, speeding at traffic lights to beat the red light, vehicle overloading, driving with underage children sitting at the front, speeding on wet road, disobedient to traffic officers and driving against traffic.

According to an adage, the way to break a plate is to drop it. To break the above dangerous driving habits, drivers must drop them without delay. This will promote sanity and safety on the roads.